


Power Rangers 2: Synthesis

by SatanSpeaks



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: Action/Adventure, F/F, F/M, Female Tommy Oliver, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Loss, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, The Sequel We'll Never Get, diversity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:59:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 69,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21784075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SatanSpeaks/pseuds/SatanSpeaks
Summary: Zedd knows exactly how to break these new rangers and remake them in his own image. Zhane pays a great price to free his planet from the Machine Empire and must find a way to move on. A sequel to Power Rangers 2017.
Relationships: Astronema | Karone/Zhane, Kimberly Hart/Jason Lee Scott, Trini Kwan/Tommy Oliver
Comments: 8
Kudos: 13





	1. Silver Strength

**Prologue**

**Silver Strength**

Zhane pulled the central processing unit out of the nearest combat drone and crushed it in his armored hand. Sparks flew out of the hole in the machine's body and it fell dead. Nearby, Andros bashed through another drone with his pickaxe and Trey took out an entire squad with a single swing of his scepter. Finally, after years of training and months of constant combat, the three finally had a chance to free KO-35 from the Machine Empire.

Ecliptor's tower, a hulking mass of machinery, dominated the landscape. It served as the Empire's operational hub on the planet. When the guard drones had all been dealt with, the three rangers regrouped at the base of the tower. A glowing white force field was all that stood between them and their target.

Trey took a moment to consider their problem.

"Give me the word and I'll call down an orbital bombardment," Zhane suggested.

"Never escalate a fight unless your enemy forces you, Zhane," Trey warned. "A bombardment of that magnitude would scorch large sections of the planet."

Zhane pounded his fist against the force field. "I'm not going to let this stop me!" Ecliptor had murdered most of their people and enslaved the rest eons ago. It forced them to mine ore for the Machine Empire's weapons and fleets. Zhane wanted to tear the damn thing apart, piece by piece.

Zhane's earliest memory was dragging rocks as a young boy. Faceless drones whipped him for not being strong enough to carry them. He grew up working in the the mines. The drones continued to punish him for not mining enough ore or not moving quickly enough. He was beaten bloody daily and given medicine and barely enough food. His body failed him. The other miners only watched as he got weaker and weaker, taking Zhane's punishment as an example.

"There's got to be a way in," Andros suggested, taking in the tower's immense height. If they could have only teleported inside, they would have been done with this fight months ago.

The day he met Andros, Zhane felt compassion for the first time in his life. Andros showed up in the miner's barracks one day, taken from a farm outside the mines. He gave some of the ore he had mined to Zhane, taking that day's beating for him. That night was the best night of Zhane's life for a very long time. He finally got to eat a full meal and Andros had given it to him. From then on, his beatings were only every other day until Zhane was finally strong enough.

"The drones came out of the tower, right?" Andros asked. "They walk right through the shield, but it stops our armor from getting through. What if we used their armor instead of ours?"

"We might be able to walk right through," Trey nodded. That was what Andros did best. He was always coming up with a clever solution, born to be a Power Ranger. He might even have been the best one.

They stripped all the armor they could from the drones they had destroyed earlier, demorphed, and covered themselves in it. Andros was the first to step up to the shield. He eyed it cautiously.

Zhane charged through the shield, before Andros could test his plan, and came out on the other side unharmed. Andros cocked his head at him, Zhane smiled. "It works," he said. He wasn't about to let Andros take yet another beating for him, Zhane owed him.

Once the rangers were inside the shield, Trey teleported them up to the tower's control room. Whirling blades, spinning gears, and all manner of torture devices laid in every corner. Cables running along the walls pulsed with energy. The very walls laughed in the rangers' faces. It was a testament to the agony Ecliptor had inflicted on the people of planet KO-35.

Ecliptor stood in the center of the room, clad in twisted black armor. It may have been twice as tall as Zhane, but that oversized arm would be useless when he ripped it off. It scanned them and stomped forward.

Trey was first to morph. His armor gleamed with gold, untainted and pure. The man from a planet called Triforia had given Andros and Zhane their coins. He had mentored them and trained them to be Power Rangers, guardians of the Zeo Crystal, protectors of the people. Even more than that, he had become a father to them, the only one Zhane had ever known.

Andros and Zhane followed Trey's lead by morphing. Zhane's silver grew out of his body in large plates. Liquid copper flowed over Andros in a wave. Zhane savored the power his coin granted him, the power to exact justice.

When they were training under Trey, Zhane always wanted more power so he could fight evil. He wanted to be able to take on armies of Ecliptor's drones by himself. He had learned to draw power directly from the morphing grid. Muscle dominated his new form. He was strong, no longer that weak boy from the mines.

The only thing holding him back was the fact that he would automatically demorph when he tried to hold too much power. It felt like dropping a weight when it got too heavy. Trey had told him that it was a fail-safe that protected him. It would shut off his connection to the grid before he could destroy himself. So he worked it like a muscle, slowly expanding the amount of power he could hold. He got stronger the more he worked at it.

Andros had found new ways to use the power he already possessed, uncovering unique powers. He could teleport, create a weapon of raw force, and he was even learning to move things with his mind. There was always something new he could do.

Trey teleported the short distance, and struck Ecliptor with his scepter. Ecliptor was caught off guard and staggered back.

Zhane kept up the assault by charging and slamming Ecliptor as hard as he could, to absolutely no effect. Ecliptor's metal body protected it completely. It countered by knocking Zhane into a wall.

Zhane fell to the floor and let his anger draw more power from the grid. His armor thickened and began to tear into his skin.

Ecliptor concentrated its attacks on Trey, its huge fist blocked by Trey's scepter. It grabbed at him with its smaller arm. Trey dodged the claw, but didn't see the bigger one had become a particle cannon until the last moment. A white beam of energy cut through Trey's armor and into his side.

Trey went down with his hands clutching the hole.

Andros focused his mind, forming his pickaxe. Ecliptor was too slow to avoid Andros' strike. The copper axe dug into its arm. Zhane leaped into the fray and slammed Andros' axe as hard as he could, breaking the arm off. It clattered onto the floor of the control room.

The small victory was short-lived. A cable shot out of Ecliptor's empty shoulder and picked up the severed arm. It pulled itself back to the body and reattached to the shoulder socket.

Before Andros and Zhane could react, several more cables shot out of Ecliptor's body. They connected to various devices on the walls and brought them to its body. A flamethrower attached itself to Ecliptor's shoulder and shot at Zhane.

Zhane leapt through the white-hot flame and bashed Ecliptor in the chest, beating it back. Hoarding more grid energy was working.

Andros cut one of the cables reaching for the wall, then another, but there were too many to stop. The parts merged with Ecliptor making him stronger, improving its armor, giving itself more weapons. Its right arm formed into the shape of a blade, its left claw crackled with electricity. It was already too powerful and its strength was only growing, they were going to lose.

Zhane pushed himself further than he ever had, collecting more and more power. He needed to protect Trey and Andros. His armor stabbed through his body growing thicker, larger. It hurt, but his focus dulled the pain. Zhane unleashed a kick that nearly broke the sound barrier, shearing off parts of Ecliptor's armor. He followed it up with a lightning-fast punch. Ecliptor's body crashed into the tower's wall.

Zhane was immediately on top of his enemy. Ecliptor's right arm managed to pull a buzz saw from a nearby machine. Zhane avoided its swings while Andros got into position.

Andros whipped a severed cable around Ecliptor's legs and caught the other end on its way back around. He twisted the ends around each other to tighten it, desperately trying to hold the machine in place.

Ecliptor cut into the cable with it's saw. Zhane began beating it again, avoiding its electrified claw and grabbing it by the wrist. Zhane bent it just enough to break it. It would need to repair itself before Ecliptor could use it again. He finally had his chance.

Zhane grabbed Ecliptor's head and started pulling. It wouldn't give, so he gathered the strength to rip it off. The metal creaked but didn't break. He was already close, he just needed a little more-

Zhane's armor exploded in a silver flame. He dropped all of the energy he had hoarded from the grid. Zhane stood in front Ecliptor wearing only his tattered miner's robes, weak as that little boy again.

Ecliptor grabbed Zhane and electrocuted him. All of his muscles squeezed. He couldn't move or think. While the lightning ran through him, he was in agony.

Ecliptor's saw inched toward Zhane's neck. With a flash of copper light, Andros appeared in front of Ecliptor and blocked the saw using a piece of drone armor.

Trey appeared behind Ecliptor and pounded on it with his scepter. His attacks weakened with each strike, but the machine began to smoke, severed cables whipped out of it.

Trey finally broke all the way through Ecliptor's body. One last hit broke off its head.

What was left of Ecliptor went rigid and fell into a wrecked heap. Zhane's victory was taken from him, he really wanted to be the one to take the damn thing down. He huffed in satisfaction watching the smoking corpse. Ecliptor was dead and that was all that mattered. He owed Andros another one, he added it to his mental tally.

A small white box crawled out of the hole in Ecliptor's chest, using wiry tendrils as legs. It scurried along the floor, probing for something.

"That's Ecliptor's central processor!" Trey shouted. "We need to destroy it!"

The processor dodged around Trey's attacks and Andros tried to lift it off the ground with telekinesis. It held tight and dug itself into the cables and machinery that comprised the floor.

The room shifted. The machinery and devices on the walls and floor came to life. Cables shot into the room, connecting everything.

"We need to get to the ship," Trey said. He grabbed Zhane and they teleported to the ground.

Andros followed after picking up Ecliptor's body. "I have an idea." He got inside and moved through the shield. They got back outside one at a time while the tower shifted above them.

Ecliptor's central processor had merged with its fortress. It slowly took on hulking humanoid form as tall as a mountain.

In a rush of golden energy, the trio teleported to the bridge of Trey's pyramid-shaped starship. Zhane stepped up to the weapons system and targeted Ecliptor with everything they had. Andros was already calibrating the shield while Trey piloted them into the atmosphere to get the best shot.

Zhane charged the weapons and unleashed the particle beam. The shield folded like paper and the beam cut straight through Ecliptor, destroying the ground behind it in a magnificent explosion. Zhane got his orbital bombardment after all. It was the exact same result as he suggested earlier except Trey wouldn't have been critically injured. Stupid rule.

"What's it doing?" Andros asked. Metal filled in the hole Zhane had drilled into it. The shield went back up a moment later. Zhane punched the console. Nothing he ever did changed anything.

"It repairs itself too quickly for our weapons to be effective," Trey stated. "I'll destroy the processor from the inside." He staggered to a nearby container and produced an explosive.

"Ugh!" Trey doubled over and his golden armor retreated. He ground his teeth through the pain. The wound in his side was getting bigger. "Armor's the only thing holding me together."

"I'll go," Andros volunteered.

"No! I won't let you do that," Zhane said. "It should be me. I'll take a transport."

"You'll never make it," Trey gasped. "Not without morphing."

Zhane was fine. He could morph. He focused on Andros and Trey, his brother and his father. But as much as he pushed, his armor was stuck. He needed more time, only a second or two. Any moment he'd be able to do it.

"This one has to be me, Zhane." Andros looked at Zhane with an optimistic smile. "You bring down the shield and I'll teleport in and teleport out. Easy."

A hand grabbed Zhane's shoulder. "Trust your brother." Trey's speech was slurred. He stood up and attempted to look stoic. The old man could barely hold himself up. He put the explosive in Andros' hands. "Come back to us, Andros."

Zhane stepped back up to his console and fired the particle beam when it reached full charge. Ecliptor's shield fell and Andros teleported away. Trey struggled through his pain with the flight controls.

Ecliptor unleashed its own attack on the ship. Plasma bolts began pounding the hull. Zhane took all the power he could from the ship's systems to keep the weapons charged. The second Andros was done, he would get him out of there.

The ship's armor melted and broke. The bridge was scorching, but neither Zhane nor Trey let the heat distract them from their task.

"I've attached the bomb to the processor," Andros reported over the comm.

Zhane fired the beam again and Ecliptor's shield went down. "Get back here, Andros!"

"Teleporting, now."

Ecliptor formed a sword with its arm and brought it down on the ship, shaking it to the ground. Andros didn't appear.

"The cables... They've got me." Andros struggled to speak. "I can't get free... trying to teleport."

"Cut your way through!" Zhane screamed. "Get out of there!"

"It's not working! I can't..." There was a long pause. It might have only been one second, but Zhane felt like it was hours long. "Zhane." Andros' voice had become calm. "I'm sorry."

"No! There's still time! There's still time!" Zhane concentrated on Andros. If he could just teleport to him... Rangers developed new powers in times of crisis, he could do it.

"Everything will be okay," Andros said as Ecliptor's shield went back up. "Zhane-"

An explosion cut through Ecliptor's midsection outward and tore it in half. Metal sheared itself apart, crumbling down. The bulk of the machinery slumped over, crashing into the ground in a cloud of dirt and smoke. Fire wrapped itself around it.

Zhane beat his way to the wreckage and dug through the debris with tears in his eyes. He didn't care how the metal tore up his hands, damn the blood, damn the pain. There was still a chance Andros was alive.

Andros was unmorphed when Zhane found him, his body wrapped in wiring. He had been strangled and stabbed in several places.

Zhane fell to his knees. His heart was crushed. Andros' life was payment for Zhane's freedom, but it was a price too high. He wanted all of it to end there, he didn't want to go on.

Andros spent his life sacrificing for others. Zhane was the reckless one, the one that was supposed to die. He broke down on the pile of rubble knowing he had failed.


	2. Red Dedication | Blue Intellect

**Chapter 1**

**Red Dedication**

Jason placed a biscuit on the tray and offered it to the police officer in front of him.

Jason needed to be better. He couldn't let down his friends. He needed to save everyone. The fate of the entire world was on his shoulders.

"Thanks, Jason." The officer took his tray. Jason responded with a smile.

He had asked the juvenile court for community service in lieu of Saturday detention and house arrest. With all the destruction around town, they readily accepted. Volunteers were in short supply. In fact, he had to work the lunch line by himself.

Jason placed a piece of chicken on the next tray.

It felt good to get the monitor off his ankle, and he was starting to find it felt even better to help the community. On his first day, he resented the prospect of having to do all the grunt work. Then he remembered his only skills were throwing a football and playing piano. He wasn't allowed to do one, and the other did not pay very well. He figured he needed to start somewhere, so he sucked up his pride and put himself to work.

Jason scooped out a helping of potatoes and placed it next to the chicken.

The lunch line was not Jason's preferred task, though it was better than hauling boxes around the camp or cleaning up the broken concrete. At first, he had to weather a constant barrage of 'moo's from the other volunteers. They had stopped once he had proven he was there to help. The police officers even referred to him by name.

He placed a biscuit onto the tray and offered it to the next person in line, a paramedic. "Thank you, Jason."

Working with the volunteer doctors had been his favorite task. They had to work in substandard conditions and were always running out of supplies. Yet, they made it work. None of the injured had died. That was something he had decided to emulate.

Jason placed a piece of chicken on the next tray. He scooped out another helping of potatoes next to it and placed a biscuit. He served the tray to the next person in line. "Thanks."

It was a mindless, repetitive task and it was making a difference. The people needed food. They needed a lot of things: shelter, clothing, safety. He had started with protecting Angel Grove from Rita and Goldar, now he was helping put their lives back together.

Jason placed a piece of chicken, scooped out a helping of potatoes, and placed a biscuit on the next tray. It went to the next worker. "Thank you." Jason didn't see them.

They would never even know Jason was one of the group who saved them. And they didn't need to know. He didn't do it for the recognition.

Chicken, potato scoop, biscuit. "Thanks."

He was getting good at this whole serving lunch thing. 'Lunch lady' wasn't the person he wanted to become, but he was fine with who he was at the moment.

A piece of chicken landed on the next tray, the scoop in Jason's hand dove into the potatoes, and a biscuit suddenly appeared. The next person in line took the tray without a word.

Who was he though? Lunch lady? The Red Ranger? Maybe both. Maybe Earth wouldn't need the rangers. Rita had been defeated, the Zeo Crystal was safe. The world had been without rangers for 65 million years. Maybe they could go another 65 million.

Chicken, potatoes, biscuit, and another person was served.

Could Jason look forward to a normal life? Or as normal as it got for a guy with superpowers?

Another tray and another "thank you."

What was it going to be? College? Not on a football scholarship like he had planned.

He placed a piece of chicken on the next tray, scooped the potatoes, and added a biscuit. He tried to serve the next person, but no one was there. He looked down the line to see if anyone was straggling behind.

No one. He was done. Everyone had their meal. The people who had lost their homes in the attack got to eat first, then the workers, police, and volunteers, and finally, him. It took a lot of work, but the task was complete. He had fed everyone.

His job wasn't done, he still had to clean up. Once he had the food in the refrigerator, the dishes washed, and the counter sanitized he took the last tray to one of the tables and sat down alone in the empty eating area.

The weight of the world rolled off his shoulders for a moment. It would be back shortly, but he would enjoy the respite while it lasted. He took a bite of the chicken he had been serving. It was cold, but Jason didn't mind much, it was still food.

"Hey, stranger." Kim looked down at him with a big smile and rested her hand on his shoulder.

Jason was elated to see her. Those legs went on for days. Her body was chiseled from her constant martial arts training and years of cheerleading before that. Those eyes entwined his soul. He stood up and gave her a kiss.

She wrapped her arms over his shoulders and leaned in to him. "Your day is over, right? Do you want to go see a movie?"

* * *

**Blue Intellect**

Billy had an idea. It was going to be tough to make it work. Buying the cattle prods was the easy part, now he was going to make them into weapons.

When he was still alive, Billy's dad had a working relationship with the owner of Angel Grove's junkyard. The guy still let Billy take a look around and salvage stuff that wasn't too valuable.

After a few hours of searching he found most of what he was looking for. He walked out with six pieces of plate metal he could wire up to the prod's battery, steel pipe he could use to strengthen the weapon for combat, and enough insulation that he wouldn't hurt himself when he tried to use them... probably.

It took him an entire two weeks, much longer than he expected. It wasn't detention that was taking up his time, he had already accounted for that. His new friends were becoming a huge distraction, and he loved it.

He hung out with Jason and Zack a lot. He didn't know what it was supposed to feel like to be one of the guys, but it felt good. Jason and Zack still fought with each other every now and then, but it was different somehow. They'd yell at each other a few times, then go back to what they were doing, like they had never yelled in the first place.

Kimberly was teaching him what girls want in a guy. It was too simple, she told him "Just be awesome and let the girl come to you." It had to be more complex than that.

Trini had become his study partner. It had started because she suddenly had an acute interest in what made things explode. She let him talk as much as he wanted. She actually understood what he was talking about and even knew more than he did about some areas of science.

He finally felt like he belonged for the first time since his father's death, but now he needed to concentrate. Billy took the prods apart, separating the housing from the wiring and power system. He covered the wiring and power systems in insulation and re-installed it into the much stronger cylinders. The plates he got from the junkyard would become the electrodes. He bought some blue electrical tape to wrap around the housing to hold everything together and form the grips. Lastly, he installed an end-to-end attachment so that they could be put together to form a double-ended weapon.

The big problem was the power supply. Even modern cattle prods couldn't produce the wattage he needed. Billy wanted this weapon to be able to deliver a bolt of lightning. Good thing he had his own alien space ship to salvage. Zordon and Alpha wouldn't miss a couple of 65 million-year old batteries he had found deep in the ship. It took a lot of patience, soldering, and tape to connect an alien battery to modern wiring and a makeshift electrode system.

Jason used a sword while Billy's weapon was more like a double-ended spear. It was a weapon of his own creation. His four friends were in his basement when he finished it. All it needed was a name.

"I think I'll call it, The Spiked Cattle Prod," Billy announced.

Everyone had a weird face when he said it.

Jason turned it down. "Isn't that a little too... Accurate?" He sounded as if accuracy was a problem. "Look, sometimes its more about what it does as opposed to what it really is."

Trini and Zack started throwing out helpful suggestions. "You should call it Blue Thunder!" said Trini.

"The Disintegrator!"

"It looks like he's throwing a lightning bolt like a javelin. Zeus' Fist!"

"Oh! Oh! Something about Thor!" That one caught Billy's attention.

"Great, so you guys are in a contest for the cheesiest name ever?" Kimberly said through laughter.

"Donatello's Wrath. You know, 'cuz you're both crazy geniuses."

"Why didn't Donnie electrify his bō? Or at least set it on fire? It's so obvious now."

"Just don't call it the Shocker." Trini threw up three fingers with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on her face. Zack nearly fell over laughing, but Billy didn't understand what was funny about it.

"Describe it a bit more," said Jason. He was always the easiest to talk to. "What is it for?"

"It's like a multi-use weapon," Billy explained. "Its got enough energy to power a skyscraper and should be able to cut through almost anything-"

"Like a powered-up thermal lance," Trini mused. "A Power Lance."

"Nice!"

"Not bad. Not bad."

"Just the right amount of cheese."

"And, now I want pizza."

But it wasn't at all like a thermal lance. Billy was about to correct Trini, then he remembered what Jason said about accuracy. "That does sound good. Power Lance." It felt like the right name.

"So, are you going to try it out?" Jason asked what they were all thinking.

"Yeah! My mom's out right now. Everyone stand back." Billy picked up one of his lances. The other four rangers took one step back.

"No guys. I mean stand far back." They took another step back. "Like, up the stairs back." The four started backing up the stairs. They started stepping on each others toes and falling on each other. It took 78 seconds, but they made it most of the way up, all four still looking at Billy the entire time

"Maybe we should morph," Kim suggested as they were almost all the way out of view.

"Good idea." Billy's armor appeared around him. "You should still stay back though."

"Why?" Zack was eager to see it in action.

"'Cuz there might be a small chance this thing could kill me."

"What!?" They exclaimed in unison, it sounded like they practiced that one.

"Don't worry. You can just bring me back. You did it once before."

"Damnit Billy! We only got one of those!" Kim seemed mad at him all of the sudden.

"Oh, oh, okay. Never mind then." Billy didn't know that. "Don't worry about it. Here we go."

Before any of them could stop him, Billy flipped the switch and it exploded.

All of his stuff flew off his workshop bench and the basement filled with smoke. How was he going to explain that to his mom?

"I think I know what I did wrong. I think I know what I did wrong there."


	3. Pink Adaptability | Black Therapy

**Chapter 2**

**Pink Adaptability**

Kim finally found a fighting style all her own. Jason had joined a karate studio and was focusing on technique and form, Billy was fine with a simple style, Trini was born to be a brawler, and Zack was a wild-card from day one. But Kim had found a way to use her training as a cheerleader to enhance the way she fought.

The first time they morphed, they had to improvise, and quickly learned crazy acrobatics were a bad idea. Gravity was so slow, being up in the air was time they could have spent punching something else. When they were in the water, they had swung each other around. That was where the idea occurred to her. She added kicks and punches to the flips and vaults she had learned as a cheerleader and started practicing in secret. Fighting in the open quarry was difficult with nothing to vault off. The town had buildings and the pit had walls and a ceiling, both environments were perfect. It was all about momentum and balance. In another life, Kim was sure she had been a gymnast.

Her power coin made coordination and muscle memory come much easier. Within three weeks she had perfected several moves.

Kim and Jason began sparing one-on-one in the pit. She quickly noticed while he had quickly refined and perfected his movements, he was forgetting that, due to their sheer strength and reflexes, physics was different for power rangers than it was for normal humans.

She gave the lightest jab with her left fist while pushing off the ground with her left leg.

Jason went to block the jab, but Kim had hit the rock wall, twisting herself to bring her feet forward. She bounded off the wall, just like she had practiced, and aimed to punch Jason in the face.

His heightened reflexes allowed him to move his face out of the way. Her fist missed and she knocked him over, tumbling to the ground on top of him.

She wound up with her head on his shoulder, her leg draped over his body. He felt warm and smelled amazing. The position felt right. She completely forgot where she was and what she was doing. She ran her finger down his muscled chest. It was too bad he had a shirt on.

His voice brought her back to her senses. "Woah! Where did you learn that?"

Kim suddenly felt embarrassed and scrambled off of him. They had ended up like that a lot, almost always her on top of him. They had gone on a few dates, and she really liked him, and he clearly liked her, but she didn't know if she was comfortable being that close to him with the others around.

"Kim?" He brought her back to reality again.

"Oh!" She flustered. "I guess I thought it would be cool."

He strode up to her, their bodies finding each other. She could feel him breathing. He smiled. "You'll have to teach me that one sometime."

And there it was, the overwhelming urge to kiss him.

A quick check confirmed Trini had her back turned and Billy was engrossed with his new toy. She grabbed Jason's face and, not for the first time, brought it to her lips. He tasted wonderful.

The kiss lasted a few quick seconds before their lips separated again. "Yeah, I'll teach you."

She realized Jason had his hand on her waist when Zack came in. "Jason may have a lightsaber and Billy may have his Power Lance. But check out my new piece." Zack pulled what looked like some junk from the ship from behind his back and held it like a rifle.

Kim had given Jason a little personal space while Zack had everyone's attention. She hoped no one noticed how close they had been. "Where'd you get that?"

"I was checking out the lower levels of the ship, found this Star Wars blaster. It still works, I tested it."

Billy stepped forward to take a close look at it. "Is it a laser or plasma based?"

"Let's find out. Hey Jase. I want to see if you can block the shots with your sword." Zack aimed just to Jason's right.

Jason grabbed his sword and held it like a baseball bat. "Alright pitch me one."

Zack aimed at Jason. A bright bolt of light crackled out of the barrel. The air filled with static.

Kim must have blinked. A smoking black scorch mark had appeared in the rock behind Jason. They were all staring at it.

"Dude, you missed." Jason sounded disappointed.

"I'm was trying not to kill you."

"Okay. This time try to kill me." Jason's red armor appeared around him and he held his sword right in front. Zack obliged by aiming right at Jason's chest. Kim almost couldn't watch.

Another flash of light. Kim ducked and Billy and Trini seemed to follow her lead. Even their quickened reflexes barely allowed them to see the bolt of energy as it moved.

"That was awesome!" Zack jumped up and high-fived Jason. "I didn't see where it landed. Where'd you hit it?"

Jason pointed to the roof of the cave. "Home run." There was a smoking black scorch mark where he was pointing.

"Oh good, I was hoping to get crushed by rocks today," Trini said. "You know we're in a cave, right?"

Jason had a sword, Billy had an electric stick, and now Zack had a gun. This seemed like it was going to be a thing. "So you guys all have weapons. When do we get weapons?" Kim asked, referring to herself and Trini.

"I've got weapons." Trini unzipped her backpack and pulled out a shiny pair of sais. "Yep, just like the best ninja turtle."

"Okay, old-school weapon, and the best ninja turtle is Mikey," Zack chimed in.

"Your weapons are all reliant on power. Jason, what if the batteries run out? Billy, what if the enemy uses an EMP?" Trini walked up to Zack with her sais up. "What are you going to do if your gun gets hacked and starts shooting at you?"

"Hold on a minute..." Billy interrupted. Everyone looked at him. "The best ninja turtle is Donnie."

"Leo," Jason added.

Zack turned back to Trini. "My gun's got range," Zack insisted as he outstretched his hands to emphasize his point.

For her rebuttal, Trini threw a sai at a putty hologram. It broke right through and embedded itself in the wall of rock. She lifted the other sai between her face and Zack's.

"Nice Trini!" Billy said.

"Simple, efficient. Can't be hacked. Can't run out of batteries. And, in my hands, CAN crush rock," Trini said.

Billy inspected the sai sticking out of the wall. "Where did you get them?"

"Internet's a big place." Trini spun the sai on her finger. It flew out of control and across the cave before it finished a single revolution. "I just... need a little practice," Trini said, embarrassed.

She walked over to Billy and jerked her sai out of the rock. They started swinging their weapons at each other. Zack went back to aiming his new toy at Jason.

Kim felt left out. "So what's my weapon?"

They all looked at her questioningly, like they didn't know what to do. Jason was sympathetic. "What do you think would fit your fighting style?"

"Kim should get a whip," Billy suggested.

"Yeah, like Catwoman" Zack encouraged while Trini rolled her eyes.

"I was thinking Indiana Jones," Billy corrected. "But Catwoman's good too."

"Guys!" Zack got their attention focused on him again. He was holding his weapon upside-down by the barrel. A glowing blue blade had appeared on one end. "This gun doubles as an axe!"

* * *

Kim was frustrated with the entire situation. They had road-tripped all the way to Redding so she could buy a bow and pay for it with cash. Now, she stood right in front of the display, looking at the models. She wanted to walk right up to the counter and buy the bow with the heaviest draw weight they had. But if she did that, the guy who sold it to her might recognize it on the news and tell everyone who she was.

Jason had his hand on her lower back. He was massaging with his fingers. It felt really good and was the only thing keeping her relaxed.

"Hey, Jason. Check these out." Billy was interested in the rock climbing gear. Jason kissed Kim on the cheek and walked over to Billy.

Zack had called her Katniss Everdeen when she told them she wanted to get a bow. He shut up when she asked him if she should get a recurve, compound, or longbow. She had been an archer since childhood. Although, not in the last few years. Cheerleading and having a social life got in the way. Being compared to a book character was what she had been trying to avoid.

"You should get it anyway." Trini stood next to Kim. "Whatever's holding you back, fuck it."

"I don't want to expose our identities."

"I told my parents about the ship right after we found it. They didn't believe me." Kim was shocked. Trini looked annoyed by Kim's expression. "They thought I was high."

Trini paused. "Look, don't worry about it. Get one of the white ones and we'll put some pink paint on it. Make it look cool."

"Do you think it's lame?"

"Nope, it's awesome." Jason had snuck up behind them.

"Katniss, Legolas, Hawkeye, Green Arrow, Robin Hood, all badasses," Billy chimed in counting the characters on his fingers.

Zack picked up one of the compound bow models and started posing with it in a nearby mirror. "This makes me look good." After a few poses he yelled back at Kim. "Hey, Kim. I changed my mind. I'll trade you."

"No deal." Kim walked up to the counter and got the salesperson's attention. "Hi, what model of recurve bow do you recommend? I'm an experienced bowhunter prioritizing power. Let's say I want to hunt grizzly bears. Strength is not an issue. I am a cheerleader and I regularly lift up an entire person. Durability may also be a factor, grizzlies are not gentle."

* * *

**Black Therapy**

Zack loved road trips.

He had draped himself over the entire back row of Billy's mom's new van. Trini was driving and forcing them all to listen to her heavy metal playlist. Billy was in the passenger seat explaining how the ship's technology worked. Kim was on her phone researching bows. Jason had his arm around the back of the seat in front of him. His fingers kept creeping up toward Kim's shoulder. Kim was trying really hard not to lean toward him.

They thought they were being so secretive. Between Kim always figuring out a way to get on top of Jason during training and the way Jason kept smelling her hair, they were not subtle. He had also caught them making out in the pit less than an hour ago.

"...It can change shape, just like the zords. It becomes what you need, when you need it." Billy was still going on about how his gun had become an axe.

"We get it, Billy, all of the ranger stuff morphs." Zack didn't need the details.

Jason was asking a bunch of follow-up questions. He must have been the only one listening.

They were only an hour in to a three-hour trip to get Kim a bow. Zack felt bad about making Kim feel self-conscious. She shouldn't feel ashamed for liking something, or someone.

If he asked, would it stir up trouble? Yes, definitely. He probably shouldn't do it. "So when are you two going to tell us you are going out?"

Kim turned around with the most hilarious look on her face. She didn't realize he hadn't specified that he meant her and Jason.

"Come on Pink, we've known for weeks."

Kim covered her face with her hair and hands. Jason's expression hadn't changed. The guy was unshakable, it was infuriating.

"It is pretty obvious," Trini said.

"Were you trying to hide it?" asked Billy.

"You two have been giving each other the googly eyes since I met you," Trini added.

"That's not true!" Kim defended herself.

"You always end up straddling him when we're training." Trini had noticed it too.

"It happened once!"

"Once a day."

"Besides, it doesn't mean anything. It happened to you and Zack the day we found the ship."

"Why are you embarrassed about it?" The question only made Kim cringe harder. Zack was loving this. "You guys are great together."

Kim sighed.

Trini sensed what Zack was trying to do. "You're totally crushing on him. You can't talk about him without smiling."

That had done it. "Okay, fine! We are going out. Jason is my boyfriend. It doesn't have to be a big deal." Kim leaned on Jason and rested her head on his shoulder. Before long she had practically fallen in to him.

Jason turned to look back at Zack. He cocked an eyebrow and extended his fist. Zack pounded it with a wink.

Zack loved road trips. It was because he had a captive audience.


	4. Yellow Perception | Red Endurance

**Chapter 3**

**Yellow Perception**

Trini heard a 'Swoosh'.

How did she even end up in detention? Oh right, because the world is a living nightmare. At least her friends were there with her.

'Swoosh'

Note passing with them had become endlessly entertaining. Not just because they were able to talk to each other, but because it should have been obvious. Every time one of them would pass a note, Trini could hear a definite 'Swoosh'.

'Swoosh' Kim passed a note to Zack. 'Swoosh' Zack passed one to Billy 'Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh' Billy, Kim, and Trini passed one each to Jason. He caught all three with one hand without looking. Was everyone else in the room deaf?

The detention teacher was taking roll. Trini finished coloring in her section of the lightning bolt that Billy had designed. They should totally start a band. She sent it to Billy with a 'Swoosh'.

"Oh, we have a new detention student, Tommy Oliver. Tommy Oliver?" The detention teacher was looking at an empty seat like a person would magically appear.

He started looking around the room. "Tommy Oliver?" Trini had heard that name before. A green jacket was draped over the empty chair. The embroidered dragon was a bit ostentatious for Trini's personal style, but otherwise cool. "Tommy Oliver?"

A loud reverberating 'Boom' filled the room.

"Cranston," The teacher said, exasperated.

"That might've been my fault. That might've been my fault. I'm so sorry," Billy pleaded.

"Oh really, let's go see the damage." He grabbed Billy's arm and led him out the door.

Three seconds passed and the room filled with laughter.

Once everyone had calmed down, they started mingling. They all had an unspoken agreement whenever the teacher wasn't in the room. The other three rangers congregated around Trini, as was tradition. It was so she couldn't run away again, as if she would. Her partner in crime sat on her desk.

"Did Billy build another bomb?" Zack asked,

"He would have told us several times if he did," Kim said.

The din of conversation was cut by the sound of boots coming down the stairs. Everyone in the room stopped what they were doing and looked at who it was.

The boots were black and the girl was gorgeous. She was definitely an athlete. She had well-defined muscle in her arms and legs, revealed by the skirt and halter top she was wearing. As she got closer, Trini noticed she had dark, sultry eyes and a smirk on her face that oozed confidence.

Trini had that feeling again. The one her parents hated. It was an attraction she couldn't deny. She suddenly couldn't think about anything else.

"See something you like?" Zack asked.

Trini realized she had been gawking. She shoved him off of her desk. "Make room." He crashed to the ground smiling.

Kim looked at the new girl with Trini. "She is gorgeous, isn't she?"

Trini looked at Kim. Kim smiled. Her eyes were glowing and filled with excitement.

The new girl passed directly in front of the group. "Hey, you're Jason, right?" Her voice was pure sex. Kim's demeanor instantly changed. The entire room suddenly turned ice cold.

"Yeah..." Jason looked confused. Even Zack was shocked into silence.

"Cool." She stepped closer to him. "I'm Tommy." She put her hand on Jason's arm and squeezed. "You've got some muscle. We should work out together sometime." She brought her lips to his ear. "We could get nice and sweaty." She whispered barely loud enough for the others to hear.

"Uh..." Jason didn't know how to respond. Kim looked like she was going to kill both of them.

Jason was interrupted by the teacher stomping back into detention, Billy was not with him. "Ah, Ms. Oliver. So good of you to join us." He sat at his desk.

Everyone returned to their seats. Tommy winked at Jason and sat in the chair with the green jacket draped over it.

"What happened to Billy?" Zack asked.

"I sent him to the principal's office. He blew up another locker. It wasn't his."

Kim was too busy staring daggers at Tommy to see what was going on. Tommy only had eyes for Jason, biting the tip of a pen when she stole glances at him.

"Billy would only blow up his own locker." Zack reasoned. "Do you know it was him for sure? There's been a lot of weird stuff going on lately, superheroes and rock monsters-" Trini had to put her hand over her mouth to hold back her laughter.

"He's done it before Mr..." The teacher looked through his list. "Who are you?"

Zack tilted his head. "Jason Scott. I'm on the list, right?"

"Very funny. Look, everyone else is accounted for. If you don't have detention, get out."

"Ok, I'll go." Zack started to leave. "See you later Zack," Zack said, looking right at Jason. Trini couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Once Zack was gone, it got boring again. Trini started doing her homework. Jason and Kim threw notes back and forth the entire time. Probably discussing Tommy.

She was sure they were nearing the end of detention when she heard a 'Swoosh' aimed in her direction. Trini caught the note and opened it. It read "I need to talk to you. Meet me in the restroom." There was a heart at the bottom with Kim's signature in it. That was a little on the nose given her last name.

Trini grabbed her backpack and stood up. "I need to use the bathroom."

"Oh really. Why do you need your backpack?" The teacher asked, clasping his hands in the most patronizing way possible.

"Should I explain menstruation to you?" Trini asked.

He squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could and waved her to go. Trini walked to the bathroom. That one worked every time.

Trini waited for Kim for a few minutes. "Hey Trini," Kim said.

"Hey. What's up?"

"Mr. Caplan is such a push-over." Was that the detention teacher's name? Mr. Caplan? Trini was way off. "That bitch is lucky he's there."

Trini was devestated the hot chick in detention would never be in to her. That was always the way it went. Why were all the cute ones straight?

"I'm already over it," Kim said. "What do you need to talk about?"

"I thought you needed to talk to me about something. You sent me the note."

"No, I didn't send a note. I got one from you." Kim produced a sheet of paper.

Trini pulled her note from Kim out of her pocket. "I didn't send a note. The last note I sent was Billy's Power Ranger logo."

"Let me see." Kim took the note and studied it. "That's not my handwriting, I don't even have a pink pen. And I don't sign my name in a heart. What am I, in fourth grade?"

They both stood in silence for a moment. "You don't think it was Tommy?" Kim asked.

"Why would she send us both to the bathroom?"

"To get to Jason alone. I am going to crush her." Kim clenched her fist. They left the bathroom and made their way back to detention. No one was there. Trini looked at the time. It was 3:03, detention had already ended. They couldn't be far.

They walked toward the parking lot and turned a corner in the hall. Jason and Tommy were talking on the other end, near the door.

Jason had his back turned to Kim and Trini. Tommy leaned on the row of lockers very close to him. Trini couldn't tell what they were saying, but Tommy was giving some serious flirty signals. She was all smiles and kept batting her eyes. The thing was, Jason's stance was off, he seemed tense.

Kim fumed, tapping her foot, arms crossed. Clearly, she wanted to see what Jason would do. Trini knew Kim trusted Jason. She was not a jealous girlfriend, it wasn't like he couldn't be friends with other girls, but Tommy was crossing a line. Trini was surprised she hadn't stomped over to there to confront them.

Tommy subtly peaked over Jason's shoulder. Kim made eye contact with her. Tommy laughed and touched Jason's arm. She led him right out the door.

Kim ran after them. Trini followed. She silently applauded Kim's restraint at not using her speed. When they got out the door there was no trace of Jason or Tommy.

"That son of a bitch!" Kim raged, tears in her eyes, fists clenched.

"There's no way he's cheating on you Kim."

"Where did they even go!?" Trini hated seeing Kim like this.

On the way to training, Trini texted Jason. [What the fuck boss?] She waited for Jason's reply, no response came. He didn't even show up when the rest of them met at the quarry.

The four stood above the crevice that would bring them to the ship.

"Where's Jason?" Zack asked.

"He is always here for training, even when we're not." Billy stated. "Something must have happened to him,"

"Ha! Yeah, Jason must have been kidnapped," Zack said sarcastically.

It couldn't happen. Trini felt sorry for anyone who tried to take Jason hostage. He would tear them apart. It was still weird though. He almost never took this long to reply. More than that, he never missed training. Not even to have alone time with Kim.

"Ugh, he actually has been kidnapped," Trini said.

Kim's eyes got really wide as she put the evidence together herself and realized the implications. She had been so consumed by the idea that he was cheating on her to entertain the possibility. They had all been naive, it never crossed their mind that Jason could be taken out like that.

Zack laughed. "That's hilarious!" Trini scowled at him.

"We can use the morphing grid to track him," Billy said. Without another word he jumped.

The rest followed and they swam to the entrance of the ship. The door was already open. It was cold and dark inside, so everything looked the same as it usually did. But there was just something strange about it. Billy charged through like he didn't notice a thing and Zack was right behind him. Only Kim seemed to share Trini's apprehension. She kept looking at Trini for reassurance, Trini couldn't give it.

Billy stopped in the doorway to the control room like he had run into a brick wall or something. "Uh... uh... Kim?" He flailed his hand toward them. "This is... really bad."

The control room had been torn apart. Broken parts and cables had been ripped out of the walls. It was hard to walk and not step on something that looked important. The wall that projected Zordon's face was motionless and silent. It was like a nightmare.

"Alpha!" Alpha laid in a broken heap in the corner. Billy ran and took a quick look at it. "I need to fix him. I'll go get my tools." He ran out of the control room before anyone could stop him.

"Guys..." Zack could barely hold eye contact with Kim. He pointed to Jason's position. Jason's power coin sat right where he should be standing. It wasn't glowing.

"Oh my god." Kim covered her mouth. She went up to it and touched it.

Billy returned with a small toolbox and went to work on Alpha.

"So.. is the grid dark? I'm still connected." Zack revealed his power coin. It was still glowing black... somehow. Trini looked at her own coin, the center emitted yellow light.

"The grid is still up, that's just a hologram," Billy answered. "It's like... a graphical representation of-"

"Shit!" Kim shouted. "How do we get Jason back?"

"You don't." Everyone looked toward the source of the response. A woman clad in green armor stood at the entrance of the control room, the green ranger. All four morphed instantly.

"Rita," Kim said.

"Not exactly." The green ranger pulled back her visor and cackled. Tommy Oliver shook her hair out. "Don't worry, Jason's gonna outlive all of you." Trini had already had enough of this bitch.

"We need to attack her together," Kim suggested as she and Zack moved on Tommy. The four rangers raised their fists, ready to attack as one.

Tommy actually took a step back into the doorway. Trini smirked, they were already getting to her. She might even run.

Zack and Billy moved to engage Tommy at the same time. Zack made contact first. Tommy blocked a series of jabs and low kicks. Billy couldn't make any moves between Zack and the doorway. Tommy caught one of Zack's punches and kicked him three times. The final time she let go of his fist and he ended up flying back into the center of the control room. Billy was a sitting duck and took an uppercut to the jaw. Tommy laughed, taunting them.

"Bitch is using the doorway as cover. We need to push her out into the open." Trini looked at Kim. A silent thought passed between them, they both understood the plan.

Trini charged Tommy staying low enough to give Kim room to maneuver. Trini slid, feet first. She made contact with Tommy's front leg. As expected Kim was already above her, soaring through the air with a jump kick. Tommy was already off-balance at dodging Trini. Kim's kick staggered her back through the doorway and into the atrium of the ship.

Kim landed right in front of Trini, facing her, with her hand out, Trini launched herself forward and grabbed it. Kim back flipped and braced herself against the floor with one hand. Both girls' feet landed in the perfect position and they launched off of each other. Trini sprung toward Tommy at a ridiculous speed and slammed her in the gut.

Kim was already up, literally, she was near the ceiling. The girl could jump and made it look good, just one of her many talents.

Trini circled around Tommy while Kim landed on the other side. They had her in the center of the atrium. She'd have to take on both of them at once, Trini allowed herself to smile.

Tommy looked at Kim, then to Trini, then back to Kim. Trini took a step forward, Kim also took a step forward. They were closing in. Tommy dropped into a fighting stance.

The next few moments were a blur as two girls fought a third. Tommy was fast, she avoided the blows she could and blocked the ones she couldn't. She had undoubtedly been trained in martial arts, and much more extensively than Trini or Kim.

Kim flipped into the air and brought her leg down onto Tommy with enough force to break steel. Tommy was forced to avoid it and moved right into Trini's kick. Kim followed up with a series of punches. Tommy careened toward the doorway to the pit.

"Oh, you two are very cute together. But that is as far as you go," Tommy taunted. A glowing dagger appeared in her hand.

"Oh yeah!" Zack had appeared out of nowhere and pointed his plasma rifle, at Tommy. "I got somethin' for ya." Zack fired a shot at Tommy.

Tommy dove out into the pit before the doorway exploded.

The four of them ran through the door to the pit and surrounded her. This was it, Tommy was outnumbered four to one and in the open. She had no chance of escape. Yet, she started laughing. Even when she was about to lose she was mocking them.

"Take her," Kim seethed. They attacked simultaneously.

At the last moment, Trini noticed a ball of white energy in Tommy's hand. Tommy spiked the energy on the ground before any of them made contact. Lightning exploded out of the ground below Tommy and struck all four rangers, throwing them back.

Trini's felt a wave of power flow into her armor, then it crumbled away. She was left in her street clothes, still wet from her swim. Her armor had completely disappeared.

Her friends were demorphed and tossed aside. Trini, being the slowest and the farthest back, wasn't hit as hard. Tommy, still in full armor, came back up to a standing position.

Billy got Tommy's attention. He stood up, unsure of what to do.

Trini had to act fast and grabbed Tommy from behind in a full nelson. She tried to bring her onto the ground, but Tommy wouldn't move. Her armor felt like it was bolted to the floor. Trini didn't let go, Billy grabbed onto her to help.

Tommy leaned back on Trini and kicked Billy in the chest. She landed and took a wide stance, forcing Trini's arms down and breaking her hold.

Tommy twisted, got Trini into an arm lock, and started pulling her around like a rag doll. She slammed Trini's side into a rock, putting her between Billy and herself. Her gloved fist beat into Trini's side.

Trini growled, anger dulled the pain. She tried to get some space by kneeing Tommy in the gut. Tommy sneered at her. The hit didn't do anything.

Tommy plunged her dagger into Trini's leg, twisted the dagger, and jerked it back out. Trini shook with pain and seethed through her teeth. Tommy slammed Trini in the left shoulder, dropping her to the ground. "Don't go anywhere." She charged Billy.

Zack was back up and had grabbed his gun but couldn't fire a shot without catching Billy in the explosion. He mumbled something about needing a weaker setting.

Billy jabbed at Tommy, trying to use his superior reach to keep her at a distance. Tommy didn't block. His fists connected on her head, shoulder, and chest, but didn't do any damage.

Tommy cocked her head. "Nice try, poindexter." Tommy countered by hammering her shoulder into his gut, sandwiching him between her and the wall. Billy coughed in pain and spit up blood.

Tommy seized the opportunity to take his head in her hand and bash it into the stone. Billy slumped to the ground. Tommy stood over him with her dagger in hand, ready to strike.

"Billy!" Zack charged at Tommy swinging his axe wildly. Tommy blocked a few swings with her dagger, but Zack was quick. He kept moving her back, away from Billy.

Trini ripped a strip from her shirt and tied a tourniquet on her leg. At least Tommy had missed the Femoral Artery. The pool of blood forming in the sand under her would be much bigger if it were cut.

She tried to walk, but her leg wouldn't work so she started crawling toward Billy. The searing pain in her leg and ribs wouldn't let her get very far.

Zack was still swinging wildly at Tommy when his axe stopped dead in it's tracks on a rock. "I'll take that." Tommy managed to grab the head of the axe with her free hand.

Zack got his foot up and braced it on Tommy's leg to try to pry the weapon out of her grip. He made progress against her for a few seconds, until her fingers found the trigger.

"What does this do?"

With a bright flash of light, Zack was launched across the pit. Smoke billowed out of his chest, and he hit the wall. Trini couldn't see where he landed, he fell behind a rock.

Kim flipped up in the air and landed a good hit to Tommy's head. Tommy was launched several feet back.

Kim landed on a supine her with her knee, cracking the ground. Tommy dropped her dagger and grabbed Kim before she could escape.

Tommy quickly gained control and pinned Kim to the ground. She punched and kicked over and over with a sadistic smile on her face. In the chest twice. In the gut once. In the head three times. Kim tried to block, but couldn't defend herself against the raw force of Tommy's hits. It seemed like it went on forever.

Trini pulled herself forward, wincing at the pain. She had to help Kim.

Tommy picked up her dagger and crushed Kim's throat with her knee. Kim struggled uselessly to push Tommy's leg off of her. Tommy held her dagger right in front of her beaten face. She brought it down, but was stopped by a flash of red light.

Jason kicked Tommy off of Kim. Her dagger flew out of her hand. About fucking time!

He pulled back the helmet on his armor and made sure Kim was alright, but didn't break eye contact with Tommy. "Thought you'd like to have a fair fight this time," he said.

Tommy got up. "Yeah. Sure. I'd be happy to kick your ass, again." She brought her fists up.

Jason got into a kickboxing stance. Trini knew he had been practicing, she hoped he was good enough.

Tommy screamed at him and attacked relentlessly. Jason matched Tommy, move for move. He defended himself well, but he'd never win that way.

There had to be some way she could help Jason. She crawled, even though it hurt, to where she knew they would be. She may have been messy, but she always knew where her stuff was.

Trini found exactly what she was looking for, her sais. It took an extreme amount of effort to get into a crouched position. Yoga had given her the balance to rest on only her left leg. She controlled her breathing and waited for the right moment.

Jason grabbed Tommy's shoulder to keep her from attacking. She wound her arm around and slammed into Jason's block.

With everything she had left, Trini threw one sai, then the other. She couldn't throw as hard as she would have liked, but her aim was spot on. The sais struck Tommy's head twice in rapid succession. It gave Jason an opening to punch Tommy as hard as he could, forcing her to the ground.

Tommy crossed her arms in front of her visor to block Jason's next attack, but her face was not his target. With one swift motion, he ripped Tommy's power coin right out of her armor. Her suit disintegrated.

Tommy thrashed around, screaming. Shards of crystal retreated their way through her body and back into the green light in Jason's hand. It took several seconds and finally Tommy was left in her street clothes, quiet.

Jason glared at the burning coin. He closed his fist tightly as if he didn't want anyone to see it. He walked over to Trini and offered his other hand. "Thanks, Trini."

Trini looked at the stab wound in her leg. The bleeding had finally stopped. It would take more time to heal than when Rita had slashed her neck, but she would be fine. She took Jason's help and propped herself up on her good leg, growling in agony.

"I know it hurts, but I need you to check on Zack. I'll make sure Billy's okay."

Trini nodded.

As she shuffled toward Zack she took a look at Tommy, still thrashing in pain. They had won, but it didn't feel like it.

Everything was destroyed. What if they couldn't fix it? What if it was just her and Jason from now on? What if their friends were...

Trini smelled something foul, something burnt. She forced herself to look at Zack. All she saw was a charred mess.

Trini immediately turned away, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't see him like that, not like that. She started bawling, couldn't hold it back anymore. She fell to the ground and curled herself into a ball, clutching her knees.

It was all over. He was dead. He couldn't have survived a direct explosion to the chest, not without his armor. She would never get to joke around with him again. His mom would never see him again. She never got to say 'goodbye.'

"What happened? What happened, Jase?" Billy was speaking. Trini could see him moving. "What happened?"

"Billy, everything's alright." Jason looked away from Billy and took a deep breath. "Billy. It's not alright."

Before Jason could continue, Billy launched into panic-mode "Everything's broken. What do we do? It's all broken, Jason. What do we do? What can we do?"

"Billy, focus. I need you, man." Jason grabbed Billy by the shoulders and shook him a bit. Trini wasn't sure if it was supposed to be reassuring or if it was Jason's attempt to make him uncomfortable so he could focus on something instead of panicking. "Can you fix Alpha?"

"Yeah, yeah, I think so." Billy was trembling.

"Good." Jason let go of him. "Rest a sec okay."

"Okay." Billy leaned his head back. "Okay, I can do that."

Seeing Billy filled Trini with just enough hope. She steeled herself with a deep breath and looked back to Zack. The skin where he was shot was a smoldering wreck.

"Trini..." Trini felt a hand on her back "We're going to fix him up." Jason gave Trini a reassuring look. She couldn't see it because she couldn't look away, but she was sure it was there. She didn't fully believe him, but she really wanted to. Billy came up from behind Jason. Kim appeared on the other side of Zack's body.

"Zack..." Kim's face was a bloody lump. Trini couldn't believe she was standing. She reached out and touched his neck. "His heart is still beating, and he's still breathing, barely."

"There's a med bay, down in the ship. We should take him there," Billy said.

Jason turned toward Trini. "Can you morph?"

Trini focused on protecting her friends and her armor materialized.

Jason held his still closed hand to her. Green light streamed through his fingers. "Hold this." He gave her the green power coin. It vibrated in her hand as if it was trying to escape. She squeezed it with all the strength she had. "Don't let it go." Trini nodded. "You're on guard duty." Jason pointed at Tommy.

"Billy, we need Alpha to get Zordon back. Kim, can you help him?"

"Yeah, we got it," Kim replied. They held onto each other and limped to the control room. Jason picked up Zack and carried him to the medical bay.

The silence was deafening. Trini was alone, alone with her. She watched the bundle of person in the corner. Tommy was curled up in the fetal position, trying to take up as little room as possible. Soon, she started crying.

Fuck that. She doesn't get to cry. She doesn't have the right. Not after everything she did. Not after what she did to Zack.

Trini staggered closer to Tommy, growling. The green ranger's dagger was there on the ground. Trini studied it. The blade glowed with a blue energy, like a shorter version of Jason's sword.

She could end Tommy right then and there. Trini pushed the thought out of her head. No, that wasn't who she was. But Tommy didn't have to know that.

Tommy spun around and looked at her with desperate eyes. "Give it back."

* * *

**Red Endurance**

Jason had already had enough, but he needed to be patient.

"I'm with Kim," Jason said curtly.

"That's perfectly fine with me." Tommy smiled. "She's cute. She should join us." Tommy leaned against her locker, biting her lip. She was smoldering. Jason had a thing for athletic girls.

Yet he wasn't tempted. He and Kim had a connection neither of them could deny. Getting to know her was exciting in a way he had never felt before. She was smart, had a strategic mind, she could lead, and she genuinely cared about her friends. As much as she wanted to run away, she would take him with her. Plus, she was hotter than Tommy. There was no contest.

This level of flirting was something that only happened in movies. Why was he was even talking to her? How had she roped him into a conversation? Something about her made him tense. No one ever acted the way she was acting. Tommy wanted something, Jason just didn't know what.

"Walk me to my car." She pulled him out the door to the empty parking lot.

Once they had gotten a few steps away from the building, Tommy grabbed Jason's waist "Come here, gorgeous." She opened her mouth and went for his face.

"What the fuck!?" Jason turned his head away to avoid the kiss.

She didn't kiss him. Instead, she stuck her hand into his pocket.

"Ooh, what's this?" She pulled out his power coin and showed it to him. "It's mine now," she said with a giggle as she held it out of his reach.

"Give it back." As Jason went for it, he stumbled. Tommy instantly disappeared. Everything disappeared. He fell.

Jason caught himself clumsily. A spike of pain shot through his hands as they slammed into concrete. It hurt much worse than it should have. He coughed. The air was saturated with dust, he could feel it on his skin. He couldn't see it, he couldn't see anything. Wherever he was, it was pitch black.

He took his phone out of his pocket and activated the flashlight. He was in a room, made ceiling to floor out of concrete. There was a bunch of trash in one corner and rubble all over the place. There were no windows, and only one doorway. He went up to it and found it blocked by a huge cement slab. He tried to push it, but it wouldn't budge. "Where the fuck am I?"

Jason shined his phone light back into the darkness of the room. A figure lunged at him and slammed him into the wall.

"An abandoned train yard in Arizona." Jason's phone fell and the light shined up from the floor. It was the green ranger armor, but Tommy was in it. She gripped his shirt while holding him up with a sadistic smile.

Jason tried to morph, but his armor wouldn't emerge. Usually, he could feel it right under his skin, ready at a moment's notice. But the feeling was gone, a cold numbness where it used to be, like he had lost a piece of himself.

Tommy grabbed his chin in her vise of a hand and turned him to face her. "I don't know what they used to call this room, but you're not getting out."

Jason punched her in the face as hard as he could from the position he was in. Again, a spike of pain shot up his hand through his wrist, he had most-likely fractured it. Tommy didn't recoil. He may as well have punched solid steel.

"Weakling," Tommy mocked, throwing him to the ground. "You can't imagine what I'm about to do to you."

Jason winced trying to rub the ache out of his hand.

Tommy kicked him in the side, scraping his body across the ruined floor. It cut into the skin on his arms, legs, chest, and back. When he came to a stop he growled and tried to force his armor out again.

"Looking for this?" Tommy held his power coin, her face bathed in red light. "If you beat me, you can take it."

Jason staggered up on wrecked legs, wary of what Tommy was about to do. She wanted him to attack her. He was angry enough, but he wasn't about to take the bait.

She took a deep breath and instantly closed the gap and punched him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and launching him into a wall. He never saw it coming, and she could have hit him much harder.

He lay against the concrete, practically choking from the dust in the air. He couldn't catch a full breath. It was in his eyes. The place was literally sucking the life out of him.

"Jason, Jason, Jason," Tommy taunted. Her boots clicked on the ground next to his face. "That is just a taste of what I have in store for you." She stood over him.

Jason was still struggling to catch his breath. She grabbed his throat and held him to her face. She held his power coin in her other hand and squeezed it. It disappeared with a flash of red light. She let go of him and forced him back to the ground.

He gasped for air but refused to give an inch. Trying to stand, he got on his hands and knees in front of Tommy. There was a glowing green coin on her belt. He focused on the coin, there was something weird about it. It was a lighter green than it had been when they fought Rita. And a crack went right down the middle.

He reached out and touched it. For a moment he reconnected to the morphing grid. He could see inside the control room. She had disconnected Zordon and taken Alpha apart. He could see his friends. Kim was right above him, reaching out.

The moment ended with Tommy slamming the top of his head with her elbow. She was still holding back. "Buy me dinner first," she said derisively.

The coin had moved just a tiny bit when he touched it. It was loose.

Tommy cackled. "I bet your friends have discovered what I have done to your precious ship. Now I'm going to kill them." She picked him up by the neck and forced him to look her in the eyes. "I'll bring you their bodies when I'm done." She teleported away, finally leaving him alone.

There had to be a way out. Jason pulled his shirt over his nose to try to filter the dust. Looking through the rubble, he found a solid piece of rebar. It wasn't much, but if he used it right he might be able to break through the concrete slab covering the doorway. The fact that he was still in Arizona lingered in the back of his mind, but he didn't care. He had to do something.

Jason started swinging and few chunks broke off. It was old and brittle, all he had to do was keep stabbing-

Red. Jason's vision flashed. He shook his head. Was that a good sign? Was someone calling out to him using his color?

It didn't matter. Nothing was going to stop him. He continued slamming the stone with the rebar. He might make more progress if he used it like a chisel-

His vision flashed red again, he could see his friends. He was fighting them. He was seeing through Tommy's eyes. Zordon had showed them a vision of Rita's victory, this felt the same. His friends were doing well. They had remembered to work as a team even when he wasn't around. He was proud. Jason relaxed, knowing they would come for him soon. Then Tommy unleashed an attack that disintegrated their armor.

Jason started to panic. There was no way they'd survive unmorphed. He needed to help them, but he couldn't escape his vision.

He tried to focus, to disassociate from his situation. Trini was so much better at it. She would look away, but he couldn't close his eyes, it was all he could see.

A rumble crept over Jason's shoulder. He wasn't alone. There was something else there with him. He couldn't see or hear it, but someone was there, watching him.

His friends fell one by one. Trini, Billy, Zack, and finally, Kim. Tommy beat her savagely. Jason screamed in agony as Tommy tortured the woman he loved.

His rage overcame him. He fought the bonds keeping him in place. With each strike on Kim's face his anger grew. He had to break free. That was when he saw it.

'Saw' may have been the wrong word, Jason only saw a silhouette. What he felt was power itself. Tommy was merely a minion. This was her master. Jason and this devil came face to face. He stared into this great red abyss. It stared right back.

Seeing his true enemy sharpened his determination. It wanted him unfocused, weak, and broken. His imprisonment wasn't physical, struggling was useless. There was a faint echo of power when he had touched the green coin. It had allowed him to see through his own coin. He was still connected to the grid. All he had to do was find it.

It was in the ship, sitting on his platform. He could feel his coin. He reached out to it and it moved to him. He didn't know how, but it appeared in his hand. Light filled the building

The power returned to him, igniting the blood in his veins. His strength, speed, and focus returned. His wounds and pain burned away.

Jason's armor materialized. One moment he was in the concrete jail cell, the next he stepped forward into the pit and kicked Tommy away from Kim.

Jason would not let Tommy hurt his friends.


	5. Green Addiction | Blue Stimulation

**Chapter 4**

**Green Addiction**

Tommy eyed the two people in front of her. She was some stuck-up trust fund socialite wearing a green cocktail dress and stilettos. And he looked like he had been sucked into a wood chipper while riding a motorcycle.

They had easily recognized Tommy's potential and presented her with the coin. When she took it, all of her talents were enhanced. She became unbelievably fast, coordinated, and strong. Power pulsed through her veins, Tommy had become invincible.

She would never have take another order again.

"You have had your day of rest." Zedd's voice boomed through Tommy's head. "Now, show us what you can do."

Rita rolled her eyes and four rock monsters emerged from the ground, surrounding Tommy. They all immediately attacked.

Tommy wasted no time. The monsters were slow and top-heavy. She swept her leg right under one, bringing it to the ground, and used her position to punch the next one. Chunks of stone broke off of it under the force of her knuckles. A hit that hard should have shattered her wrist. Becoming an unstoppable force of nature was incredible.

One of the monsters took a swing. Tommy grabbed its arm out of the air and surged at it with a stream of punches, quickly reducing it to dust.

The last one circled behind her. She lashed out with a roundhouse to give herself some space, spinning around in the process. A quick upward kick broke off one arm and the force of a drop kick knocked off the other. It disintegrated into the ground under Tommy's power. She loved every moment.

Tommy looked back at the two figures judging her performance and gave them a smirk.

One of the monsters got off the ground and charged her. Tommy forgot to finish off the first one. She shot forward and broke it with one punch.

"Good," Zedd boomed. "You did not even need to use your armor. You truly are worthy of the power. Retrieve the coins and I will find more suitable users to serve under you."

"And the current rangers?" Tommy asked.

"Kill them. All except the red one. Bring him to me."

Rita raised an eyebrow at Zedd. "Five rangers against her? Come on Zedd, give the girl a break." It didn't matter, Tommy was going to beat the shit out of them.

"Take away their armor." Zedd stepped up to Tommy and reached out his hand. A shining sphere floated above it. "Draw them close, then use this."

Tommy took it, letting the pure, concentrated energy from the grid float above her palm. She could feel it's weight, too much.

Tommy smiled. Zedd's command formed into a plan. She would start by isolating their leader.

"And have fun with it, sweetie," Rita suggested in that high, cheerful tone and two-faced glare. "Don't fuck it up."

Tommy was wracked with pain. Needles stabbed through her fingertips from the inside, knives cut through her skin up and down her body, and her armor tore through her chest like barbed wire. She screamed. The only thing she could do was curl into a ball and hope the agony stopped.

It did eventually, leaving pangs to shoot through her limbs. A pinch built in Tommy's head. But it was paradise compared to her forced de-morphing.

The power had drained from her veins. She was weak and empty. Jason had pried her coin right off of her. How was that even possible? She had trapped him in the middle of nowhere. He needed his coin to teleport and it was a thousand miles away. How did he get it back?

It wasn't fair. She was more powerful than they were. She had proven it. Each one crumbled at her feet. Then, they cheated and got right back up after the match had been called.

Someone shuffled toward her, dragging a leg through the sand. "Give it back." Tommy meant it as a bark, but it came out barely a whisper.

The yellow one had picked up Tommy's dagger. She was holding it like she was going to kill her. Trini had that cold anger that didn't show in her face, but her jaw was set and she wasn't blinking.

Green light streamed through the fingers of her left fist, Tommy's coin. Her mouth watered and her breathing hitched.

Trini flipped Tommy's dagger in her hand. "Get up."

This wasn't over, Tommy was not going to just surrender. All she had to do was get her coin back. It was so simple. She would do the same thing Jason had done. One touch was all it would take. And this girl wasn't going to kill her or she would have done it already. Tommy had all the power in the situation.

Tommy stood. Her muscles protested, but she told them to shut up.

"Into the ship," Trini led her out of the cave, limping behind her the whole way.

Tommy's ankle complained when it lifted her to the second step. That old injury was back. She had twisted it when she had first started her training. Her father had told her to just walk it off. The pain never really went away but complaining about it never got her anywhere, so she decided to live with it. She was so used to it, that when the green coin took it away, she thought something was wrong with her.

It's power was incredible. She had to have it back, she needed that power. It belonged to her. She was nothing without it.

Tommy had to play coy, so she looked over her shoulder at Trini and smiled. "Who are you anyway?"

Trini didn't respond. Her expression was like she didn't even care. She was a slacker, someone who lived a perfectly pampered life and thought they were too good to get their hands dirty. She wouldn't last one day in the Army before the drill sergeants broke her down. A weakness Tommy could take advantage of. If she just rattled her, got her mad and clumsy, attention away from her coin, Tommy might be able to take it back.

Tommy had only been at Angel Grove for a few weeks and no one knew anything about this girl. Most people didn't even know her name, most thought it was Deedee, or Becky, or Teeny or something like that. Word was, she had been at Angel Grove High for over a year and she had hardly ever talked to anyone. Until she suddenly became very close with the girl who gave herself the 'bisexual bob' in detention.

Tommy wondered if it was true. "There are some rumors going around school-"

"Yeah, there are a lot of rumors," Trini said accusingly.

Tommy smiled inwardly at the response. "The ones about me are true." They went down a flight of stairs.

"So you are some army brat?"

Tommy was a bit taken aback. That was not what she was expecting. "Yeah. We move around a lot. I'm also an MMA champion in Arizona. I've been training for years. That's how I thoroughly kicked your ass."

Trini thought not dignifying that with a response meant she was above that sort of thing. She wasn't.

Tommy kicked herself. She had gained the upper hand with the joke, then she lost it when she felt like she had to defend herself. Trini went right back to a disaffected stance.

This called for the direct approach. "I heard you're into girls."

"Fuck you." Trini led her deeper into the ship.

Tommy smirked. "Beware what you wish for."

Trini huffed. Tommy was hitting the right spot.

"Let me guess. Lesbian, but won't admit you're a lesbian. I've dated a few girls like you. Hell, I was a girl like you, once."

"You don't know me."

"Yeah, nobody knows you. And that's the way you like it. You're afraid someone's going to find out your secret."

Trini's eye twitched.

Tommy stopped in the hallway and looked at Trini. "It's your family, right. You're too scared to tell them."

Trini's lips pressed together.

"Maybe I should tell them who you really are."

Trini held the dagger between them, glaring up at Tommy. her grip on the coin loosened.

"You better not say anyth-"

Just as Tommy was about to make her move, a voice came out of the doorway behind her. "What's going on?" He looked to Trini.

Trini squeezed Tommy's coin. "I wanted to see Zack." She pushed Tommy into the room. "In."

It was a brightly lit room with two beds and a bunch of alien stuff on the walls. Zack was laying on the closer bed. A black leather jacked covered most of him. It looked like he was breathing.

Jason glanced toward Tommy but didn't say anything. Trini glared through her. Zack was going to be fine. He had his coin, what were they so mad about?

What started as a headache built into a nauseating migraine. Tommy was no stranger to pain, but this wasn't something she could shake out. It was a sinister demon that wouldn't leave. The agony built just behind her eyeballs.

"Let's take care of your leg." Jason pulled a srynge off of a rack on the wall and filled it with red fluid.

"Do we have to do this now?" Trini nodded toward Tommy.

"What's she going to do? Run?"

Trini put her foot on the side of Zack's bed and demorphed. There was a lot of blood around her leg, but Tommy focused on the coin in her hand. It was right there, bright and sparkly. The power took all of pain away. Her migrane would be gone in an instant, her joints wouldn't ache. She had to get it back.

They were underestimating her. If she could just grab it she could easily beat those two. She envisioned slamming their heads together. The other three were already next, they just didn't know it.

Jason stabbed Trini's wound with the needle. Trini hissed and she squeezed the green coin to block out the pain. She was going to break it.

Tommy jumped, but before she could reach over, she caught Jason's eyes. He pushed on the plunger while daring her to try.

"It's pretty deep," he said. "It'll probably take a day to heal."

Trini looked at him derisively, but didn't say anything.

"Keep an eye on Zack for me." Jason pulled Tommy out of the room. "You and I need to talk."

He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back out into the corridor. Tommy resisted, but he pushed her further into the ship. Tommy ground her teeth, she had missed her one shot.

They came to a series of doors, and Jason led Tommy to one with a green stripe. It opened, revealing a small room with a bed and a footlocker. Any recruit would have given their left testicle for that bunk. There was even a closet and her own latrine.

"That's Rita's coin, right. How'd you get it?" Jason asked.

The truth slipped through Tommy's teeth. "Found it in an alley after training." That wasn't the full story of course. Jason wouldn't believe the part about the demon guy, the witch, and the monsters.

Jason tilted his head down. "Your boss. What is it?"

The pain built in her head. Tommy squeezed her skull to keep her brain from exploding. Why couldn't he just get to the point? "Who? Zedd?"

"Zedd..." Jason's eyes narrowed. "Who is he?"

Tommy's hands were sweaty. "I don't know. We didn't exactly sit down for a heart to heart."

"Why did he pick you?"

There it was, the big question. She smirked. "Because I'm the strongest, toughest fighter in Angel Grove. I have a display case full of trophies to prove it. The coin picked me because I am the best." The ache in her head subsided the tiniest bit.

Jason chuckled. "Wow, a whole display case, huh."

Tommy clenched her jaw. Jason was good at throwing a stupid ball. But she was good at actually fighting. One was clearly better than the other.

"That's not what I meant. Why does he need you?"

Tommy snorted. "Why don't you ask him?"

"Alright. When and where?"

"My parents are out of town. Just let me out of here and he'll show up." Get Jason to fight Zedd, that was a good plan.

Jason studied her for a second, probably trying to figure out if she was up to something. "Alright." He was going to get his ass handed to him, Tommy was already looking forward to it.

"I need something first." Tommy grit her teeth. "Give me my coin back."

"Absolutely not."

Her teeth felt like chalk. Tommy wanted to murder that smug asshole. She should have gutted him with her dagger when she had the chance.

"I'll kick your ass!" She put her fists up. Her legs twitched under her and her hands shook. She had no choice, she threw a fist anyway.

Jason sidestepped her punch. "Don't do this, Tommy."

She pursed her lips and steeled her determination. She had true power, she was totally self-sufficient, she would pry her coin right out of his hand if she had to.

Tommy charged, Jason caught her and got her into a bear hug. Tommy struggled, trying to get any leverage she could, but Jason's grip didn't loosen. "Give it to me!" She thrashed around. He wouldn't have a single second of peace with her.

He threw her onto the bed.

Tommy got her momentum and rushed for the door. Jason sighed and the door closed before she could reach it. She punched the metal twice and her legs gave out. She lowered her to the floor. All of Tommy's her strength drained out of her body and her heart couldn't find a rhythm.

Her entire body throbbed. Pain infested her muscles like she had gone through the hardest workout ever. But she wouldn't come out stronger for it. No, she would spend the rest of her life as a weakling. She couldn't move or think. There was nothing to do but throw up.

* * *

**Blue Stimulation**

Billy tried not to think about all the bad stuff that had happened. But the more he thought about not thinking about it, the more he thought about it.

"Are you sure you can bring them back?" Kim asked, her voice was a jackhammer. She had led him to the control room. There were broken parts everywhere.

He shook out the fog in his head. "Yeah. Yeah. No problem." He forgot what he was thinking about.

Billy pushed the two halves of Alpha's crushed head together. It was going to need some work. His hand found the toolbox. The drawer didn't open.

Billy looked at the toolbox. It had three drawers stacked on top of one another. He wanted the top one.

He pulled on it again and it still didn't open. Why wasn't it opening? He pulled on it again, and it didn't open. Why wasn't it opening? He pulled on it again...

Kim flipped the top up,m and pulled the top drawer out. "Are you okay?"

So, how did it work? Billy pulled on the drawer, but it was already out. The tools were already there, waiting for him to use them. He played the sequence through his mind. He pulled on the drawer four times, then Kim pulled on it... Or was there something else? What was missing?

Kim was mouthing stuff, but no sound was coming out of her mouth. He looked back at his toolbox. It had worked all those times before...

"...help." Kim grabbed Billy's arm.

Billy leapt away from the sudden contact and noise. He could feel beads of sweat running down his forehead. He hated the feeling, but he didn't want his hands, arms, or clothes wet. So there was nothing he could do about it. It made him want to stop-

"Do you need help?" Kim asked.

"No." Billy said automatically. That usually made people leave him alone.

She turned her head. Her lip was busted open. Blood ran down her chin. It made Billy's own chin itch.

"Okay, I'm going to put these things back into the wall. You work on Alpha."

"Voxels."

"What?"

"They're called voxels." She needed to call them by the right name.

"Okay, I'm going to put the voxels back in. The ones that aren't broken anyway." She walked away to do that.

Alpha's body was made of the same material as the zords. Billy had learned to repair them with Alpha after their battle against Goldar. The great thing was that they repaired themselves. So, if he just did the same with Alpha-

'KRRRRRRRRUUUNNNN' the low scrape of metal on metal threatened to shatter Billy's teeth. Kim drug one of the voxels that made Zordon's wall across the room. Why was she dragging them when she could just pick them up?

Three cables needed to be reattached to Alpha's head. The slightly larger one was the power supply. That one was easy. He pinched one end and drew it to-

'KRRRRRRRRUUUNNNN' Kim drug another voxel across the floor.

Billy looked at the metal floor. He tried to say something, but his mouth wouldn't- or was it his brain?

Kim lifted the voxel into the missing section of Zordon's wall. It screeched scraping on the voxels below it as it went in. 'Ka-chunk' it had been connected to the back of the wall. It was finally over. Billy could go back to-

'Clack clack clack' Kim's boots knocked on his skull when she walked. She grabbed another voxel and drug it with a 'KRRRRRRRRUUUNNNN'.

Billy's fingers wouldn't stay still and he couldn't turn off the noise. There was still sweat on his forehead. His hand wiped it off without him telling it to. Now there was sweat on his hand and his forehead. He couldn't get it off. The itch on his chin burrowed itself into his skin, down his throat where he couldn't scratch it.

Jason's voice came over the comm, but Billy couldn't understand what he said.

Kim made some more noises with her mouth and 'clack'ed around. The 'clack's got closer and closer and-

"Billy?"

Everything stopped. Billy still couldn't think, but it was finally quiet.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

"No," he said automatically.

No. That was wrong. That was going to make her stay. But he wanted her to stay, he didn't want to be alone. But he did. Being alone was comfortable. But friends were good too. But there was no way he was going to be able to explain that. Billy's mouth tasted like metal.

"Billy, are you okay?"

A question. What was the answer? What was he supposed to say? What did Kim want him to say? Why couldn't she just be quiet while he explained?

Jason said another thing. Then Kim said something again. The control room started shrinking.

Billy clasped his hands over his ears to get away from the sound, only to be greeted by a roaring monster that lived in his hands.

Kim stabbed a million tiny needles into his shoulder.

Billy screamed and Kim took her hand away. Someone was making a groaning noise.

"Is this one of those times?" ANOTHER QUESTION!? How was he supposed to answer if she didn't give him a chance.

She said something again. Billy didn't understand any of it. He squeezed his eyes shut. Everything needed to stop.

Footsteps went out of the control room and the door closed. They continued through the ship until they disappeared.

Finally alone. No one looking at him, no one making noise, no questions, darkness. The room went back to its normal size.

Billy sat there for a while, he didn't know how long, but it stayed quiet. Sometimes there were footsteps, but, thankfully, they never got close.

All he had to do was put Alpha back together. Then they could both restore Zordon. He doubted Tommy was able to purge him from the databanks just by pulling things apart.

Billy picked up Alpha's head. There were three wires there he needed to reconnect.


	6. Black Recovery | Red Encounter

**Chapter 5**

**Black Recovery**

Zack practically launched himself off the medical bay bed. Everything hurt, his head, his back, and especially his chest.

"It's about fucking time," Trini said. "You were out for a while."

The lights were too bright for Zack to open his eyes. "What happened? What time is it?"

Trini looked at her phone. "It's 4:26 on Saturday. You've been out almost a day." Her voice wasn't a monotone, it sounded almost cheery. Zack found that suspicious.

"I need to see my mom. She needs her medicine." He struggled to sit up and hopped off the bed. He immediately collapsed onto the floor.

Trini grabbed him and helped him up. "Woah, man. Take it easy. You took a plasma blast to the chest." She picked him up and braced him on herself. He realized there was a huge bandage covering his torso.

Zack didn't care. "I... have... to go see my... mom." He was having trouble breathing.

Trini lifted him up and set him back on the bed. "Jason went to see your mom last night. He made her dinner, gave her her pills. Kim went this morning." Zack looked at her, still worried. "She's fine. Kim kept her company and said she's eating well." Again, Trini's voice had that light tone that was very un-Trini. That didn't sound good.

Zack wanted to go see his mom as soon as possible. "What did you tell her... about what happened to me?"

Trini handed him a bottle of water with a stoic look on her face. "We told her you went to a party last night and you were going to volunteer with Jason today. You asked us to take care of her while you blew off steam. Jason told me she took it well."

That was impossible. Chinese mothers knew everything, the darkest secrets of the universe, whatever it was that made xiao long bao so delicious, and exactly what their children were doing at all times. Trini couldn't know how much Chinese mothers knew about everything. They lived forever, they laughed Death in the face.

FUCK! Zack winced at the thought as he finished the entire bottle of water. He crushed the plastic and threw it against the wall. "I'm okay. I'm good. I'm gonna go see my mom." He tried standing again. His foot hit the floor and he slowly put weight on it. He exhaled sharply. His lungs ached.

He noticed Trini was having trouble walking. "What's with the limp?"

"Tommy stabbed me." Trini lifted her leg and pointed to the bandage wrapped around her thigh. "Don't you remember?"

"Not really. I remember attacking Tommy with my axe. Did I win?" He was really hoping he did.

"No, she shot you with your own gun." There was that deadpan voice he loved so much. The high-pitched tone and all that smiling was weird. "Like I said, you took a PLASMA BLAST to the chest."

"With my own gun? That sucks. Why am I alive?"

She stuck her finger at his face. "Because you're a fucking cockroach and I'll never get rid of you!" Suddenly, she hugged him, resting her head on his shoulder. She wasn't aware of how much it hurt him to be hugged. His lungs were on fire. "I thought you were going to die."

Zack was surprised. Trini had never showed this much emotion. She held onto him for a few moments and let go. "You said you're fine, right? Let's go."

He tried a small step. "Where are we?"

"The ship's med bay." Zack took another small step.

"This ship has a med bay?"

"Yeah, its a starship."

"Well I never watched Star Trek, Trini." Zack took another step.

"Neither did I, Zack. There's a med bay on that ship at the end of 'Empire'."

Zack had to rest to take a deep breath. "I never saw that show either. That show has starships? I thought it was about hip-hop."

"I meant Star Wars, dumbass."

"That was an ice planet." Zack took another step. "You didn't strip me naked and put me in one of those tubes, did you?"

"Damnit Zack." Trini seethed. "Do I have to carry you?"

"I wouldn't turn down a piggyback ride." Zack smiled.

Trini rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you're fine."

* * *

Zack's trailer felt a little more damp than usual. He sighed and took off his jacket. His chest was wracked with a scorching pain at the exertion. He was lucky he had his gun set to the lowest setting when it went off. It only burned off his skin and shattered his ribs. One of his lungs was fine, the other had a persistent wheeze, his bones were healed, even though it hurt every time he took a breath, and the skin was growing back, scarred and itchy.

He looked at the couch. It had been his bed for the last few years. He wanted to fall into it and catch a few hours of sleep. He couldn't before checking on his mom.

The dishes were clean, probably thanks to one of his friends. He poured a glass of water from the tap and started toward his mom's door.

The hallway floor creaked under his weight and he stopped at the threshold. He hated going in to his mom's room, seeing her like that.

"Zack?" she called through the door.

Zack put his hand on the knob and turned. His mother was there where she always was. This time wide awake and sitting up. Sunlight shined through the window. "You should rest," he told her.

"Where were you?" she asked in Mandarin.

Zack didn't want to answer. She wouldn't like anything he told her. "I was at school." He gave her the glass of water and a dose of her medication.

"Don't lie to me." She took the pills and drank the water. Staring at him hard the entire time.

He didn't like lying to her, he didn't like lying in general, but especially not to his mom. He usually got around it by avoiding the question. This time he felt like she deserved an answer. It wasn't a lie, he did go to all six periods and tried to stay for detention. It just wasn't the whole truth.

"I was with my friends." That was true too. He tried to remember the excuses Trini gave him. "I went to a party."

She had a look of deep disappointment in him. "I met your friends."

"Jason and Kim?"

"Yes. You could learn a thing or two about taking care of your mother from the blond boy. And the girl..." Her gaze softened a little. "Is she special to you?"

Zack laughed. "No, mom. Jason and Kim are together."

"Oh. She was such a nice girl."

Nice or not, Zack couldn't see himself going out with Kim. She'd kill him ten minutes into dating. Let Jason handle that storm.

"I am feeling better," Zack's mom declared, shifting herself out of bed. "I want to water my plants."

Zack put his hand on her shoulder to keep her in bed. "Don't worry, mom. I'll water the plants."

"I don't want you to water them, I want to water them myself." Zack's mom had always been so active before she got sick. And while it was great that she was feeling better, Zack knew she had to rest.

"Please, mom! Stay in bed!"

She looked up at him, hurt, like he had just stabbed her in the back.

"You're starting to feel better. That's good. But if you push yourself you'll get worse." Zack coughed.

"Zack? Are you hurt?" She put her hand on his chest. Zack clenched his teeth through the excruciating pain, not allowing it to show on his face.

"No, mom. I pulled a muscle volunteering today. They had me moving crates with Jason. They were very heavy." He winced at the necessary lie.

She studied him. "You need white tea. It will make you feel much better. I'll make it for you."

"No, I'm strong. I'll make you some tea."

"You may be strong, but I am your mother." She pushed past Zack and put her feet on the floor. Zack's mom was going to do what she wanted, no one could stand in her way. She slid off the bed with Zack bracing her.

"Okay, you can make tea," Zack said as if he were giving her permission. "I will water the plants."

She was up and walking around, but Zack wouldn't let it give him false hope. They had been down this road too many times before.

* * *

**Red Encounter**

Jason listened intently to his mentor's words. Zordon spoke in a grave tone. "The coin has bonded to Tommy, but it has also been altered. It now pushes as much energy as possible into the user. In two days Tommy's power has grown as much as yours has in a month."

That didn't seem like a bad thing. They could have used more power when they fought Rita. Billy wouldn't have died.

Kim asked before Jason got the chance. "Why don't we use that?"

"Because it will kill you, Kimberly. A ranger's power is meant to grow gradually. And some of the best rangers don't grow their power at all. The bond you formed with each other is what allowed you to combine your zords and defeat Goldar, not raw power."

Jason and Kim looked at each other. He remembered the moment he knew they were going to die, that quiet acceptance. He remembered reaching out for her. All he wanted was to hold her hand one last time.

"When all of you combine your collective effort, you become more powerful than any one ranger can ever become," Zordon said.

"So, like, more power is bad?" Kim asked.

"Forcing more energy from the grid than the ranger can handle has a degenerative effect on their body. It would then require more power just to keep their body from breaking down, creating an unsustainable feedback loop. At the rate Tommy's power was growing, she had less than a year to live."

Jason took a breath. "So we keep it on ice until we can fix it,"

"Only the ranger whom it is bonded to can restore it. However, the morphing grid indicates that it is still bonded to Rita as well. In order to restore the coin, Tommy would need to overcome Rita's bond with it while resisting the corruption at the same time."

"Whoever did this really covered all their bases. Could Tommy do it?" Jason asked.

"Tommy is an inadequate ranger candidate," Zordon said. "She only wants power. The coin had to be forced on her, it did not choose her. The coins did choose you. All five of you will be able to come together to restore the coin once this Zedd threat is dealt with."

Zordon regarded them for a moment. "Fight as one and you will be undefeatable. May the power protect you."

Kim slung her bow over her shoulder and exited the control room with Jason close behind. He sighed, there was still a lot to consider with Tommy, many extenuating circumstances. He was still new to being a leader, and now he held an entire life in his hands. He stopped in the ship's central chamber.

Kim, looked back at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah..."

Kim tilted her head. She knew he wasn't telling her the whole truth.

"Get the team to their positions," Jason said. "I'll get the bait."

"You got it, captain." Kim smirked at him and went to gather Trini, Zack, and Billy.

Jason made his way to the brig. Tommy's cell was in the crew quarters of the ship. It was really just a bedroom with a small attached bathroom, one of ten identical rooms in the ship. It was only furnished with a small bed and functioned well as a prison cell because Tommy didn't have a coin so she couldn't open the door.

The door to Tommy's cell had a green mark on it. It was right across from the one with the red mark. Jason assumed that one was his, but hadn't had time to investigate that mystery yet.

The door opened when he got close to it. Tommy was sitting against the wall at the back of the room. Dark circles rimmed her eyes and her lips were cracked. There was a congealing puddle of throw up near the door. She looked up at him and scowled.

Tommy was a complicated case. Jason was still angry for what she did to his team. Three severely wounded and one near-death. Tommy had attempted to kill them, she admitted it and hadn't shown remorse. Something needed to be done. Jason's jaw clenched from just thinking about it.

"You gonna give me my coin back?" She smirked despite the fact that she was visibly shaking.

Jason stood over Tommy with his arms crossed. "No. I'm taking you home."

* * *

Jason crouched behind the door to Tommy's brother's room, unmorphed. Everything was going according to plan. Billy was in the living room. Kim kept watch outside on a nearby rooftop. Zack and Trini were ready in their zords. Tommy was in her room. All they had to do was wait. Whatever it was would attack Tommy, and they'd ambush it.

Jason had wanted to do this out in the quarry to minimize the risk of civilian casualties and collateral damage. Trini had pointed out that no self-respecting bad guy would fall for such an obvious trap. She was right, of course. Tommy lived in Kim's neighborhood, there were a lot of civilians around. Jason didn't like putting people in danger, but this was their best shot. If they could defeat this monster here and now, they could avoid a protracted battle. He was close by Tommy anyway. There was much less risk of her getting hurt.

He kept Trini and Zack off the ground team since they were injured. He wanted to keep them out of it altogether, but someone needed to be in the zords in case the battle escalated.

Jason considered the nature of his enemy. It had access to teleportation, it could trap his mind in a vision, and was supposed to be extremely powerful, information just vague enough to be unhelpful.

Somehow, Rita had figured out how to create rock monsters. She could effortlessly summon an army of them. This being might be able to do things Jason had no way of anticipating. Questions swirled through his head. What other powers could it use? What if it didn't take physical form? How can he fight something he can't touch? He winced with apprehension.

"Jason, something's happening in Tommy's room," Kim said.

Jason went to investigate. Her door was rimmed with a red light. He morphed as he opened it.

"I did not give you power so you could squander it!" The red light completely illuminated Tommy's room. It didn't cast any shadows and seemed to be coming from everywhere. Tommy breathed heavily and pursed her lips with a stoic determination.

"What the fuck was that?" Zack asked over the comm.

"Stand by, Zack. Do not move," Kim ordered.

"I had them," Tommy said, looking at a blank wall. "I was just about to-"

"You hesitated, reveling in your dominance." Jason tried to find where the voice was coming from. It felt like it was coming from inside his head. "Are you weak?"

Jason swallowed hard and scanned the room. He had no idea what he was looking for.

The light coalesced into the form of a person. "Answer me!" It grabbed Tommy by the throat as it materialized, lifting her off the bed. She tried to pry its fingers apart.

The red light had formed a demon. It looked like a man with no skin. Metal spikes stabbed through pulsing muscle, all of it polished to a mirror shine. A chrome visor was welded to his head. It revealed no eyes, but glowed with an evil, red light.

Jason moved immediately, this was his best chance. He swung at Zedd's head like he was playing baseball. Hot chunks of metal exploded out where his sword had struck and Zedd stumbled, but he did not drop Tommy.

Holding his sword to Zedd's neck, Jason aimed for the meat between the metal plates welded there. "Let her go."

Slowly, Zedd turned his head and dropped Tommy. She coughed and wheezed trying to catch her breath.

"You..." He turned toward Jason. After one long hard stare, he took a step, completely ignoring the sword at his throat, as if Jason posed no threat at all. "Zordon's replacement. The Red Ranger. You did well today." A chrome staff appeared in his hands and clashed against Jason's sword, pushing him away.

Jason wasn't going to give a single inch, He unleashed a flurry of swings.

The monster blocked them all and pinned Jason's sword with the end of his staff. "Good. You are strong. And willing to use your strength. The coin has chosen well."

"What!?" Tommy growled, her eyes were wide.

Billy stood in the doorway with his lance ready. Jason kept his eyes on his enemy in front of him. "Billy! Get Tommy out of here!"

"You can't do this to me!" Tommy struggled as Billy carried her out of the room.

"The monster's visor turned a deeper shade of red. "I am Zedd."

Jason brought his face to less than an inch from whatever Zedd had instead of a face. "Fuck you." He ignited Tommy's dagger with his left hand and stabbed Zedd in the side with it. The tip bounced off him, but he staggered back. Jason followed up with another big swing of his sword, only for his arm to stop dead in its tracks.

Jason could barely move. His bones locked up. He pushed through it, slowly breaking the hold.

"Excellent! Unwilling to submit despite impossible odds!" Zedd held his staff against Jason's chest.

Jason's body was wracked with pain. His lungs were crushed and he couldn't take in any air.

"Use your power to break free," Zedd taunted as the pain increased. Soon it became unbearable, and it got worse.

"The weak deserve the pain! Break free!"

Jason wasn't about to give in. He pushed against the hold, against the pain. He clenched his jaw and his arm moved, only an inch, but it kindled his resolve.

Zedd's held tilted forward. "Yes."

Billy charged in with his lance sparking like a taser and jabbed at Zedd with it. Zedd had to let Jason go to block.

Air rushed into Jason's lungs before he lost consciousness, He fought the lingering ache in his chest and stab through his mind.

After blocking Billy's lance, Zedd hit Billy in the chest with his free hand. "Your reliance on others only serves to weaken you!"

Billy went to his knees and tried to hold Zedd back.

Zedd caught something out of the air and broke it between his fingers. Two halves of an arrow fell to the floor. He kicked Billy and held him down with a boot.

A ball of energy began growing at the end of Zedd's staff. Kim had an arrow ready and held her bow at full draw. She was going to try to shoot whatever Zedd had for her out of the air. It was the best way to get herself killed.

A cold river ran down Jason's chest and pooled in his gut. Billy shouldn't have needed to save him, he should have broken free on his own. Now Zedd was going to hurt both Billy and Kim. Jason needed to be better.

He charged Zedd, slamming him in the back with his shoulder. They both flew out the open window. Jason crushed Zedd into the street, shattering the asphalt. The demon wasn't invincible, Jason would find a way to take him down.

His victory was short lived. Zedd grabbed Jason's head and threw him the length of an entire football field down the road. Jason skidded against the pavement, across a yard, and almost into the house at the end of the block.

Kim jumped off the roof she had perched on and circled around Zedd firing arrow after arrow. All were knocked away by his staff as he approached her.

Jason launched back at Zedd, too far to stop him. He needed to teleport, but the ache in his skull wouldn't let him.

Kim fired her final arrow, point-blank. It bounced right off Zedd's chrome armor.

She tried to jump back to get some distance, but he lunged forward hooking his arm around hers and slamming her into the ground. Zedd liked to do his work up close and personal.

Billy came out of nowhere and stabbed his lance into Zedd's body. A bolt of lightning shot through, pushing him away from Kim.

Zedd turned towards Billy. He seemed to focus on only one ranger at a time. Did he have a one-track mind or was he really that invincible?

Two staves struck. Billy, outmatched by Zedd's strength and speed, separated his lance into its smaller units.

Zedd ripped right through Billy's defense and cut his legs out from under him.

Kim spun into the air, whipping a kick at Zedd's head, using her momentum like a slingshot.

Zedd caught her boot and threw her into Billy.

A burn built in Jason's chest, he was going to crush him.

Trini beat Jason to the punch and clamped Zedd between her jaws. He held the jaws open with his bare hands and kicked the zord back. With a quick leap, he hammered on the Tigerzord's head. The impact shook the ground like a small earthquake, reverberating through the neighborhood. Several car alarms went off.

"I heard that from here." Zack said. "I'm on my way."

Jason slashed at Zedd going full speed, backing him away. Their weapons clashed together. Jason did not try to push forward and instead took a defensive stance between Zedd and his team. Zedd was too powerful to take on within arm's reach. All of his tactics were designed to draw the rangers in close.

The neighborhood residents looked out their windows and came out of their homes to see what was going on. An entire crowd of people gathered, watching the battle. One guy had a baseball bat, as if that was going to help anything. This was exactly what Jason did not want. Each person was a liability, leverage Zedd could use against them. He needed to finish this now.

Jason held his sword and dagger, ready to attack. Billy got to his feet and had his Power Lance sparking. Kim had her fists up. Trini trained her zord's guns on Zedd. Zack and his Mastozord appeared down the block. He revved his engine like he was going to run Zedd down. They had him outnumbered and surrounded, and Jason knew they would lose.

Zedd laughed with his arms outstretched. "Tell me, what are you going to do now!?" His voice was a rolling thunder.

Jason looked right into his visor and called his bluff. He had no other moves. "If you hurt anyone, I will cut you down right where you stand."

"If I hurt anyone..." Jason couldn't be sure, but he swore Zedd smiled through his helmet. Zedd pointed his finger at Jason's face. "Yes, you'll do nicely." He gripped his staff and disappeared in a flash of light.

Jason relaxed the grip on his sword but was far from relieved. Zedd hadn't been stopped. Their one chance to ambush him had been wasted. He was still out there. "Eyes up, rangers. He might still be here. This isn't over."

Kim called out an order to the others to start a patrol. She jumped on a roof to get a better look.

Jason looked toward Tommy's darkened window. She held up her end, even if she was unwilling. They'd keep an eye on her, but she wasn't a threat anymore.


	7. Yellow Sisterhood | Pink Relaxation

**Chapter 6**

**Yellow Sisterhood**

Trini sighed. Her house loomed over her the moment she got out of Kim's car. She had spent the last few hours piloting a giant robot cat with machine guns and come face to face with an evil demon alien. Her normal life sucked. Well, it sucked more than it should have. She would have to go back to pretending she was something she wasn't. And definitely not letting on who she really was. Trini didn't know how long she could keep doing it.

At least it was Sunday. She would be out of the house with her friends all day, doing whatever. She would even be willing to help Jason work on fixing his truck. Anything would be better than being at home.

Trini told her parents about her friends. Her dad went back to ignoring her. He only ever made time to talk to her when Trini's mom badgered him enough. At least when he talked, he tried to talk to her like an adult. He was the easy one as far as that went. Trini's mom always had to control everything. She had started nagging at Trini about her future. It was the only thing she could think about while Trini was in the room. Had she heard from any of the colleges she had applied to? What major would she choose? What was her career plan? The pressure of being a Power Ranger was bad enough. Trini's mom had even suggested that her friends were becoming a distraction from her 'goals', whatever the hell that meant. It didn't occur to her that this 'distraction' was what she had wanted for Trini only a few weeks ago. It didn't matter what Trini did, there always had to be something wrong with what she was doing.

Trini would have to sneak into her house. It was much easier now that she could just jump through the window she had left open, but she hoped her parents had gone to bed.

She landed on the roof as quietly as possible and slid through the window. Her room was dark and her eyes didn't automatically adjust. She walked to where she knew the light switch was, fumbled around for a moment, and flipped on the light.

"Yellow, yellow, yellow. My favorite ranger." A chill ran down Trini's spine. The voice was coming from behind Trini. She spun around with her fists up. Rita was just three steps away holding a tray with two drinks and a small white paper bag. She was wearing a black cocktail dress and black heels. Her hair color had changed to blonde and Trini couldn't be sure, but it looked like Rita was even wearing makeup. Her arms were outstretched as if she was expecting a hug. "Hey girl!"

Trini's armor materialized. She was ready to defend herself this time.

"You don't have to morph." Rita put her hands up to mock her. "I'm not here to start a fight. I got us a late-night snack, coffee and donuts." Rita put the drinks on Trini's nightstand. "I just got back from a party in New York. I'm trying a new color. Human fashion is the best! I look so good in black." Rita started modeling her dress and shoes. It was very strange.

Trini had to remind herself, 'never escalate a fight'. While she didn't think much of the rules, Rita could easily threaten Trini's parents or brothers. Still, Trini refused to lower her fists. "What do you want?"

"To talk, of course." Rita cocked her head and smiled as if Trini was overreacting. "You're my best friend right now." She sat on Trini's bed. "Come sit with me." Rita opened the white bag and pulled out a chocolate glazed doughnut. "I got you a bear claw." She offered the bag to Trini. "I know it's your favorite."

Their last fight had been less than a month before, The skin where the scratches used to be burned on her neck. Trini preferred to stand, she knew she had to be ready for anything and Rita wasn't going to trick her into letting her guard down. "Talk huh? I think you want Kim."

"No sweetie. If I wanted to hear all about how great the new red ranger is, I would be in the cheerleader's room." Rita added a bag of sweetener into her coffee and stirred it in before taking a sip. "Bitch thinks girl-talk is all about her. Even if she actually shut up about Jason, all she would talk about is how cute her new boots are or ask me which Sex and the City character I think I am. Not what I need right now. I need someone who's not vapid and judgemental. Someone who knows what real problems are. Someone who knows what I'm going through."

Rita leaned back and made herself comfortable on Trini's bed. "We went through a lot, me and you." Rita took a bite of her doughnut. Trini glanced at the Trini-shaped crack in her wall. She had patched it, but the seam was still visible. "You don't try to kill someone with your bare hands without developing a sisterly bond with her."

Trini still had nightmares about that night. She hadn't felt safe in her room for a long time. "Look, just say what you're going to say and leave." Trini wanted to get this over with. If Rita was going to spring a trap, Trini was tired of waiting.

"So, I met this guy. He's your basic 'Warrior Poet' type. Cute but doesn't listen to a word I say. You know, typical guy. But he's driven, he knows exactly what he wants. He really has a career ahead of him."

"Zedd?" Trini asked. Of course they had to be working together. That must have been how Tommy got the green coin.

"Oh! You guys met? Impressive, right? I know!" Rita lowered her voice suddenly. "He can be an asshole when you first meet him. It's all 'I have witnessed the death of worlds' this, and 'you will do as I command' that." Rita spoke in a mocking tone of Zedd. Trini wouldn't let herself crack a smile.

"I really do have the worst taste in men. Ugh! But something about a man with conviction and the power to back it up really turns me on."

Trini cringed, she did not want to hear that.

Rita took another bite of her doughnut. "Everything's great. I just have a tiny problem." She looked at Trini expecting her to say something.

"Okay..."

"I shared my coin with him." Trini was momentarily confused. "I know! I'm the worst! I knew the rule. Never share your coin with a guy on the first date. And I did it anyway." Rita groaned. "So, the same thing happened that always happens, he gave it to someone else, and this slut, Tommy, lost it. Story as old as time. Never thought I'd be so stupid."

Did Rita just tell Trini explicitly how Tommy got the coin? Was Rita going to explain every detail of their nefarious plan next?

Rita looked away like she was embarrassed. "The problem is, I still really like him, but I feel like he doesn't respect me. He keeps telling me 'I'll get you another coin, babe. It'll be even better than your old one.' But the green coin was mine, and now Zordon has it, and he's the last person I wanted to have it."

Rita looked back at Trini. "It's not even the coin. There are so many other things I can do. The armor is the best, but I mostly only wore it to piss off Zordon. It's the principle, Trini. The coin was mine." Rita relaxed. "Still is. No matter what that Tommy bitch thinks."

Rita had to be fully aware she was telling Trini

everything about what happened. The question was, why? It must all have been a trick. What was the trick? Even if it was, it was weird to hear the story from the other side.

Trini thought she could use this chance to learn about Zedd. Jason would want her to get all the information she could. "So, this new guy, tell me all about him," Trini said in a valley-girl tone.

Girl-talk wasn't in Trini's wheelhouse at all. Kim used to hang out with the popular girls, the kinds of people Trini hated. She would have pried Zedd's greatest weakness and a list of his fears out of Rita in five minutes.

"He's from Eltar, proving not all guys from Eltar are boring. We met two weeks ago, after you guys knocked me into space. He says 'Bow before me!' And I said 'Go fuck yourself.' Then, he tried to do that thing where he disintegrates you with his staff. And I'm like 'Bitch, I can do that too. It's not hard.' So we fought a bunch, you know. We just tore in to each other, and..." A lovesick smile grew on Rita's face. "That's how we fell in love."

"Wow..." That was really all Trini could say.

"He's okay with me doing whatever I want. So I've been partying it up. Everything's great really..." Rita looked dejected for a moment. "I just wish he respected me more." Rita cocked her head. "How do you deal with it?"

"What?"

"How do you deal with the fact that the rest of the team treats you like the fifth wheel? Mine did that to me too. I was the sixth, but it's not a contest."

"They don't do that."

Rita put her feet on the floor and leaned forward. Her face was within Trini's reach. "Sweetie, of course they do. Jason and Kim are connected at the lips. Billy is always working on some doo-dad. And Zack is too worried about his mom to have any time for you."

"We hang out when we have time." They were going to do whatever after they got some sleep.

"Of course, but you are always the odd girl out. It's the classic three guys and a girl group."

"That's not true." Trini and Kim hung out all the time.

"Ugh!" Rita collapsed on the bed and looked at the ceiling. "Last Saturday Jason and Kim took Billy with them to the movies. The day after that, Kim and Zack took a special trip to the mall. She wanted his opinion on shoes, not yours."

Trini knew about the movies, Jason and Kim had taken Billy to see the latest Marvel movie. Trini had lost interest in superhero flicks. She didn't know about Kim and Zack's trip to the mall. Trini hated shopping, but it could be fun if her friends were there. Hell, even Marvel movies could have been be fun if they had gone as a group. Even so, they couldn't be cutting her out. They wouldn't do that.

"I hate gossip, but I do not want to see my best friend tread water in that river forever."

Trini didn't get it. "What river?"

Rita cocked her head like Trini was dumb. "Denial. De-Nile." Rita took a sip of her coffee. "You are a strong, independent woman. Don't let yourself be marginalized."

Suddenly, a loud hip-hop song started playing. Trini had no idea where it was coming from. Rita picked up her phone and answered it.

"Hi Zeddy!"

"No, I'm still out."

"Talking to my best girlfriend." Rita waved at Trini.

"Don't worry, I'll be home soon." Trini heard yelling coming from the other side. Rita rolled her eyes. She looked at Trini and mouthed "men".

"I will do whatever I want and you have no right to-"

"You just want me home so I'll stroke your ego."

"Well it is really big..."

"Oh! You're so dirty."

"Mmmm oh yeah..." Rita writhed on Trini's bed. She would have to wash the sheets after this.

"Ok, I'll be home in a sec. Wait for me." Rita hung up the phone. "That'll hold him for a few more minutes. He likes it when I make him wait." Rita giggled. "So, how are you doing with the ladies?"

Trini should have expected Rita would know about that. To be honest, Trini didn't really know what her deal even was. She absolutely hated labels. Why couldn't she just be herself? "Uhh..."

"That's what I thought. Slim pickings, huh? I hear it gets better. Probably not around here though." A smile grew on Rita's face. "There's always that girl Tommy."

It didn't matter. Trini did not like Tommy. The thought of them together pissed Trini off. The burn on Zack's chest and the dull pain in her leg were constant reminders of what Tommy had done. She couldn't believe she had once found Tommy attractive. Even more than that, she couldn't believe that she still found Tommy attractive.

"I know I hate her too. Bitch lost my coin. Did you see her hitting on Jason? All an act. Total lesbian."

Trini's brain was a whirlwind of emotions. She still hated Tommy, but she was also attracted to her. Was that it? Was Rita trying to get them to let their guard down around Tommy so she had a good shot at betraying them?

Rita continued. "She is cute though. Not in a glamorous way, but there is something about a girl with muscle..."

Trini blushed. Girls with muscle were hot.

"I knew it!" Rita laughed and bounced on the bed. "You're totally crushing on Tommy. You should ask her out. Go get your own Jason That'll show that bitch."

Trini's fist clenched at Rita calling Kim a bitch. Her friends were the most important part of her life. Trini didn't care that Kim and Zack went shopping without her. They had their own friendship. And it's not like Jason was jealous either.

"Why do you keep it a secret?" Rita took a sip of coffee.

Trini looked away. "I don't know." Her hands wrung together. "My parents wouldn't like it."

"Screw them!" Rita splayed her legs out. "If they can't deal with it, that's their problem. You're the yellow fucking ranger!"

Trini had only ever considered it, she just didn't want to think about how they'd react. She knew whatever they did, it'd be bad.

What Tommy said kept echoing through her mind. Why shouldn't she be able to come out. Rita was right, she was the yellow fucking ranger.

"I love these things too much." Rita took the last bite of her doughnut. "So good." She wiped her hands with a napkin. "I love human culture. Food, dancing, alcohol, your species really got it right."

Trini was still processing her parents. "...I guess."

"You know what I like most about human culture. It's that there are two hierarchies." Rita put up two fingers. "One is how much money you have, and the other is how beautiful you are. So if you're beautiful, you can get whatever you want from the people who have money. It's the perfect system!" Rita was very proud of herself.

"Oh!" Rita stood up. "I should go." She hugged Trini.

It was just then that Trini realized her armor had disappeared at some time during the conversation. When did that happen? Trini did not hug Rita back. Instead, she wanted to panic.

"Love you, Trini." Rita released her. "Remember, you have value. Don't let anyone step all over you." Rita disappeared in a flash of green and black.

Trini was finally left alone with her thoughts, she was bewildered and more than a little scared. "What the fuck was that?"

* * *

**Pink Relaxation**

Kim was glad work was over. She had come to see her life as a Power Ranger as a job. It was a job she liked when she got to be a badass, but it was still a job.

Cleanup went by pretty quickly. Jason took Tommy back to the ship. Zack had wandered off, as usual, after parking his zord. Kim dropped Trini and Billy off at their houses. She met back up with Jason and they decided they weren't tired.

Kim parked her car near the trails. They sprawled themselves on the hood, looking up at the stars. His hand quickly found hers and they intertwined their fingers. It was still an uncharacteristically warm night. The stars shined brightly and the town glowed below them.

Finally, they were alone. It had been too long. All of their time the last few days had been taken up by training, school, volunteer work, and fighting. They hadn't had any time to themselves.

Kim thought about Tommy hitting on Jason earlier that day. She should have never doubted him. She would have make it up to him.

"You looked so hot tonight," she cooed. Seeing him go up against Zedd earlier that night had really turned her on. "I love watching you kick ass."

"You were super hot too," Jason bragged. "You ran out of arrows and went right for your fists. What were you gonna do? Beat him into submission?"

Kim laughed. "Yes, actually. The instant you got out of my way, I was planning on curb-stomping his stupid helmet."

Jason laughed with Kim. "I'd love to see you do that."

"You don't think I can?" She asked playfully.

"No, I know you can." He turned to her. "And you'd look so good doing it."

Did the fact that she loved hearing that come out of his sexy mouth make her shallow? It wasn't like she wanted to be called "beautiful" all the time, that would get annoying. She just liked the fact that he thought she was.

Kim was captivated by those blue eyes. They were deep and confident. His lips invited her in. Kim's heart raced a mile a minute.

She grabbed his head and brought him in to a kiss. He kissed back immediately. Kim felt his hand cradle the back of her head. The other hand wrapped itself around her waist bringing her entire body in close. She felt his hard muscles grind against her own. He was hungry for her, and she was starving for him.

After some time, a chime from Kim's phone interrupted them. She thought about ignoring it, especially since whoever it was would text Jason too if it were an emergency. She could leave it alone.

Kim's phone chimed again. "Ugh!" She would have to answer. Jason took some of the sting out by kissing down her neck. Kim purred and looked at her phone.

There were two texts from Trini.

[Hey, Kim]

[Do you want to do a sleepover thing tonight?]

Kim typed out a response.

[Hey, Trini. I'm kinda busy right now. Is tomorrow ok?]

Jason's fingers stroking her waist felt like heaven. Everything he did with his fingers felt like heaven.

Trini sent a response.

[Look, I don't feel safe in my room right now]

Kim was torn apart. She knew Trini had been having a tough time sleeping since Rita attacked her in her own room. Kim loved Trini and wanted to help her any way she could.

On the other hand, Kim never wanted to leave this slice of paradise she had found with Jason. His hands were magic, his lips were soft, and the night was perfect.

Kim bit her lower lip. She knew what she had to do, it really was too bad.

[I'll be there soon]

Just a few more minutes in paradise wouldn't hurt. Kim pulled herself onto Jason's body, wrapped her arms around Jason's neck, and rested her head on his chest. His hands held her close. Everything felt right.

Kim fell asleep in Jason's arms.

* * *

The morning light shined into Kimberly's eyes. Looking around, she didn't know what had happened at first. She was still outside, Jason was keeping her warm.

Trini! Kim popped herself up at the realization. Something could have happened to her. The world blew past her and she wound up in Trini's room. In an instant she found herself somewhere else. Did she just teleport? That was the first time she had done that. It was more than a little disorienting.

Kim was at the foot of Trini's bed. Trini looked okay. She was facing away and had the covers wrapped tightly around herself. Kim suddenly realized she was cold now that she wasn't cuddling up to a guy made of fire.

She started to climb into Trini's bed with her, when Trini jumped.

"It's me Trini. It's just me." Kim reassured.

Trini rolled around to face Kim, looking at her first with fear, then confusion, and at last, genuine hurt. "Where were you?" She looked exhausted, like she hadn't slept in days.

Kim felt terrible. "I'm so sorry, Trini. I was with Jason when I texted you and I just fell asleep." Kim put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "I came the second I woke up."

Trini flipped back around so Kim couldn't see how hurt she was. "Rita showed up again last night." Trini was trying to use her normal, deadpan tone. It wasn't working. Kim sensed a quiet sniffle.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here." Kim looked around the room. It didn't look like they had been fighting. "What did she do?"

Trini didn't speak for a few seconds. "She said she wanted to talk."

"That's weird." It didn't sound like Rita at all. Attacking Trini with an army of putties was more Rita's style. She was all shock and awe, not subtle. It was possible Trini just had a bad dream. Kim wasn't about to suggest that. Even if it were true, Kim needed to support Trini. Besides, Rita could have switched tactics.

Trini sighed. "Yeah."

Looking at Trini's peaceful form reminded Kim of how tired she was. "I could use a few more hours of sleep if you don't mind sharing a bed." Kim said with a yawn. Trini didn't react. "If Rita shows up again, we'll kick her ass together, just like we did to Tommy."

Without a word, Trini unwrapped herself from one side of the covers, offering half to Kim. Her heart filled with relief. She hated the thought that she had hurt her friend. Kim had never had a sister, but she was already thinking about Trini that way.

Kim texted Jason so he wouldn't worry when he woke up. He could teleport and her car would be fine where it was for awhile.

Kim took her shoes off and climbed into Trini's bed. It was small for two people and much softer than her own mattress, but it would work. Within a minute, Trini was already asleep. Kim followed shortly.


	8. Prismatic Separation | Silver Empathy

**Chapter 7**

**Prismatic Separation**

The rangers lay on the ground. Their armor shifted and flickered in and out. The hologram of Zedd dropped Billy and fell apart.

"You failed to defeat Zedd because you are each fighting alone." Zordon said, using the voice of a scolding parent. "You came together during your fight with Rita, but you must strengthen your bonds in order to defeat Zedd."

Trini grabbed Zack to make sure he was okay. Zack pushed her away in protest. He was fine and didn't need anyone checking on him. She punched him right back. She didn't give a shit how he was doing anyway.

Billy let himself lie down to catch his breath. Jason clutched his side, trying to find a new tactic.

"The strength of a team is based on how they move and act as one. None of you can predict the others' movements. All of you need to become the same person, one mind acting with one purpose."

Kim sat up and crossed her arms over her chest. "We aren't built for that," she explained. "We're different people."

"You have to." Zordon boomed. "You don't have a choice."

Trini's jaw clenched. 'Become the same person.' What was that even supposed to mean? 'One mind acting with one purpose.' They all wanted to kill Zedd, wasn't that enough?

"Kim unpredictability makes you a liability to the team. Zack, you are constantly disrupting everything the other rangers are trying to do. Trini, you rushed in without knowing the nature of your enemy. Jason, you cannot defeat him alone. And Billy, you are hesitating when the other rangers need your help."

The rangers all looked away from each other and grumbled. Zordon was very unfair sometimes. He wouldn't get it, even if they explained it to him.

"You each have a link to each other. When you are united, that link becomes stronger, you become stronger. Remember how you formed the megazord. Flow into each other and become one. The only way to achieve it is to abandon your self." Zordon said that like it was some great truth to the universe.

"Trini, Kim, you achieved unity when you fought Tommy," Zordon said. "Try to achieve that again."

The Zedd hologram reformed itself in the center of the pit. Kim and Trini stood next to each other and assumed a fighting stance.

"Begin."

The Zedd hologram started ambling toward them. Trini and Kim looked at each other. Trini asked what to do with her eyes, Kim shook her head. She had nothing.

The hologram began pounding toward them. They separated, going opposite directions from each other, to the far ends of the cave.

The hologram turned and came at Trini. She crossed her arms in front of her face and braced herself for the impact.

Kim launched herself at it. She spun with a kick, but it grabbed her leg and lifted her into the air.

Trini charged, only to have Kim's body crash into her. They tumbled back over and under each other and finally came to a stop when they hit the wall of the cave.

Trini clenched her shoulder, it had hit a rock on their way to the ground. Kim squeezed her way out from under Trini. They gave each other looks of concern and annoyance at the entire situation.

"G- Guys-" Billy said.

The hologram hadn't stopped. It stood over them with a fist raised.

Kim kicked Trini away and dodged the impact that crumbled the ground.

Trini charged again slamming the hologram and making it step back. She punched it twice more before it pulverized her. Trini slumped over.

Kim kicked its exposed abdomen and dodged the counterattack. She thought keeping it at a distance might be a good idea, but it went for Trini again.

Kim struck it in the back to no effect, it sent her flying with an uppercut her in the chin. Her head hit the roof of the cave and she plummeted back down.

"Stop." Zordon paused as if he was taking a long exasperated sigh.

The hologram stopped mid-grab and retreated to a neutral position at the center of the pit.

Trini put on an impassive face, though everyone knew she was angry. Her eyes glazed over, she wanted to be anywhere else.

Kim squeezed her head, letting a breath out in a half sigh, half growl. It was too much pressure, it had to happen organically, they couldn't do it on command.

"Jason, Billy, you're next," Zordon said. "Use weapons this time." The hologram reset at the center of the cave.

Jason's brain echoed with Zondon's criticism. Zordon was wrong, he could beat a stupid hologram. His bond with Billy was tight, tighter than anyone except Kim. He was starting to understand how Billy thought and why he did the things he did. His armor solidified and he drew his sword.

Billy connected the ends of his power lance and activated the power. He gave it a practice spin.

"Don't use that," Zordon said. "It's disturbing your link."

"It's not-" Jason started.

'Fight as one person with two bodies.' Jason was getting tired of Zordon's trite platitudes. What was he going to lecture them on next? 'Your sword is an extension of your body?'

Alpha appeared next to Billy with a sword that looked the same as Jason's, only the grip was blue. "Try to synchronize your movements."

Billy took the sword and it ignited. Energy flowed up the blade in waves.

"Jason, lead Billy," Zordon said. "Focus on your link. Tell him what you want him to do without having to tell him."

That wasn't going to work. Billy couldn't just know things, not like everyone else seemed to. Billy knew his autism was getting in the way. He couldn't connect to everyone else and he had no idea how to use a sword.

Jason positioned himself on the opposite side of the hologram from Billy. "This is just me and you."

Billy's lips shuddered.

"We're just gonna play catch, like we're throwing a ball back and forth." He moved his hand to indicate the flow, then he pointed at the hologram. "Zedd's the ball. First me, then you. Okay?"

Billy took several short breaths. He couldn't do anything else. His armor crawled over him, never settling in one place. But that was okay, Jason knew what to do, Billy had to trust him.

"Billy." Jason held his eyes on the hologram to help Billy calm down. "Its just training," he said, nodding.

Billy nodded with him. "Okay."

"Begin."

Jason slammed the hologram before it could make a move, sending it toward Billy.

Billy slashed at it like he was supposed to, not putting much strength into the swing. It glanced off the hologram's armor.

It grabbed Billy's sword. Its fingers gripped despite the plasma that should be melting them, and pushed down on Billy

Jason hammered it in the side, throwing it off. Billy's sword flew across the cave. The hologram wasn't nearly as powerful as the real thing, the real Zedd wouldn't have recoiled. Jason had a shot. He came at Zedd with flowing, practiced strikes.

The hologram blocked with its staff until Jason got in close and it grabbed his arm. It flipped him over and brought him to the ground.

Billy came back with three kicks to its torso and a punch in the head.

Too little, too late. The hologram backhanded Billy and he tumbled across the cave.

Zack charged his gun. With a piercing 'crack', he blasted Zedd apart. There was a whole lot of nothing where the hologram used to be. See, he didn't even need armor that time. He had stopped trying to use it when they started training against this stupid Zedd hologram.

Trini snickered at Zack's attempt to undermine Zordon. Kim smiled at the display, then she rolled her eyes. It was funny, but it wasn't helping anything. Even Jason cracked a small smirk. He leaned back and exhaled deeply. Zedd wasn't going to stay still that long.

"That wasn't so hard." Zack Beamed at all of them. Trini and Kim clapped their hands. Billy joined them after a few seconds. "Thank you, thank you."

The pieces of the hologram disappeared. "All of you go home," Zordon ordered. "You're done for the day."

* * *

**Silver Empathy**

Zhane understood what a rat felt like as he climbed out of a power conduit. He emerged to find himself in the central room of the complex, the power plant.

The space was a cacophony of sound and motion, pistons pumping, gears grinding, all enveloped in a low hum of electricity. A spire ran up the wall in the back. At the bottom, the Zeo Crystal shined in a glass chamber. Several devices were attached to it. Zhane had no idea how the Machine Empire converted the crystal's energy to usable power. But he didn't need to understand it in order to destroy it.

This was most of the reason the Machine Empire didn't want to give up control of KO-35. Every piece of the Zeo Crystal they controlled fueled their intergalactic fleets. Three months after Ecliptor's defeat, they still attacked at least once a week, trying to retake the planet.

Zhane didn't have a lot of time. The complex was swarming with defense drones that still went about completing their functions despite Ecliptor's defeat. He had broken in through the roof and carefully made his way down without being detected. But what he was about to do would alert every drone on the planet.

Zhane concentrated his thoughts on forming his sword. He had been practicing with control of the Morphing Grid's energy the way Andros could. The blade emerged from his right hand. It was less than the length of his forearm. He still hadn't achieved the amount of control Andros exhibited.

He plunged the blade into the chamber. The glass surrendered slowly. He was trying to be careful. Damaging the Zeo Crystal would be the worst thing he could do.

After a few seconds of cutting, Zhane heard the 'clomp' of several drones lumbering up behind him. They opened fire as soon as they had a line of sight. He was able to take cover behind the chamber only being grazed once in the side.

Zhane drew more power from the grid to strengthen his armor. It would absorb most of the damage In case he got blasted again. The drones were slow and fragile, but there were a lot of them. They poured in through every door.

He charged the closest drone. It shot him in the chest with its plasma caster. Zhane ground his teeth through the pain and stabbed through its head. The other drones fired.

Zhane was barely able to push the drone's body in front of himself to act as a shield. The plasma bolts reflected off the drone's armor. Zhane hoped they would hit the other drones, and some did. But instead of doing any damage to anything in the room, they bounced off of every surface. The Machine Empire's weaponry couldn't damage any of their technology. They were always covering their bases.

Zhane was in trouble, the drones just kept coming. There were just too many of them. He usually beat them down with brute force, but he'd be cut down in a second if he dropped his shield.

Zhane drug the drone-shield to the base of the converter. He found a cluster of wires that looked important and started ripping them out. He electrocuted himself on one of the big cables. Ripping the head off the drone, he did the last thing he could think of. He shoved it between some gears.

The converter's low hum became a high whine and it began to spark. An explosion near the top carved a hole into the spire. Lightning arced out of the destroyed machine. A bolt hit a drone, causing it to explode. The room went suddenly went dark and started breaking down.

A series of explosions rang out. The converter creaked and moaned as it bent in half. The top ripped itself out of the wall and came crashing into the ground. The entire ceiling came down with it.

Zhane was buried under debris that came raining down. His armor protected him from getting crushed. He cut and punched his way out. Everything had gone quiet.

Zhane took a look around. The floor was covered with machine parts, bent and partially melted. Most of the drones had also been buried. The unburied drones no longer moved. It looked like they had just shut down mid-combat. Something about the converter being destroyed must have turned them off.

Zhane destroyed the rest of the converter and removed the underground cables attached to the crystal. Without some machine drawing energy from the crystal, the planet could finally begin to heal. With his work finished, he began the long trek home.

Under the Machine Empire's rule, Ecliptor had enslaved the population of KO-35. The slaves only did one of two things, mine ore for the empire or farm food to feed the other slaves. The farmers lived where they worked. The miners had been stuffed into a small a space as possible.

The miner's barracks was a cluster of rusted-out cargo containers stacked on top of each other and connected by scaffolding, ramps, and ladders. The complex sprawled for miles and constantly creaked with the weight of three million people.

Zhane had buried Andros on a hill overlooking the miner's barracks. He passed through on his way back and stopped at the rock that marked his grave.

He sat down right next to his best friend. "We did it, Andros." He looked out over the containers. People milled around, doing whatever it was they were busying themselves with now that the empire had been overthrown. Andros saved them, it was his sacrifice brought them freedom. "You did it."

When Zhane returned to town, he got into the food line. He hadn't eaten in a few days and would probably stand in line for hours. He was in the very back. Everyone else had lined up earlier in the day or the night before. Nobody wanted to be left without food, so the line always formed earlier and earlier.

No one had taken charge in the three months since Ecliptor's defeat. Like the defense drones, the farmers had kept doing what they were doing without much change. Food lines had been part of life under the empire, and it seemed to work. It was the only stability most people in the miner's barracks had. The former miners didn't see the use of mining anymore. And none of them had figured out what to do yet.

The farms would be able to produce more plentiful food without the empire sucking the energy out of the crystal. They might even be able to get rid of the food lines altogether. Then they could concentrate on rebuilding their civilization.

Zhane got to the front of the line and received a piece of bread, a few withered roots, and various other scraps. It wasn't enough to live off of, but it would help. He could push it further if he could get home and cook it into a stew.

Zhane began to walk back to his shack. He didn't realize he had stepped through a gang until someone held a knife in front of his face.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"I'm just walking home, I don't-"

"Give us your food!" The guy with the knife demanded.

Andros would give them the food. Zhane sighed and handed it over. He would have to go without for at least one more day.

"On the ground!" The guy jabbed his knife at Zhane. Suddenly, everyone on the walkway had disappeared. The formerly busy space had emptied.

Even without morphing, Zhane could tear these guys apart. They had what they needed. They only wanted to beat him up to feel in control of their lives. He would just walk away. Fighting them would only make life harder for desperate people.

As he tried to step past the gangster, another blocked his path. They wanted blood. Zhane didn't stop walking forward. He forced the two gang members out of his way.

Just as they were about to retaliate, Zhane heard a yell. Another gang member carried a screaming woman up to the others. She struggled, beating at her captor in vain.

"Oh shit! She looks like a live one!"

"Get the fuck out of here!" The guy waved his knife around.

Zhane eyed him. He could stop this right here and now. He should stop this here and now. But not as Zhane, the Silver Ranger would send a stronger message. He walked down the scaffolding and heard a metal door open and slam shut behind him, taking the woman's screams with it. He had to save that poor woman.

Why wasn't anyone else doing anything about it? Zhane had seen people around, they couldn't have gone far. Someone had to be watching these guys kidnapping people in front of everyone. Even if they were afraid, they should have fought for what was right.

Zhane had been afraid every time he faced a squad of combat drones. They should have been willing to do something. There were more of them than the three gang members. They couldn't fight a mob by themselves.

These were the same people who stood by and watched as Zhane was beaten by a Machine Empire drone. They were fine with the worst things happening as long as they only happened to other people. It made Zhane furious, they didn't have the strength to do anything.

Andros would say they just needed an example, someone to show them what a good person would do. The Silver Ranger defended the people from the empire, he could become their police officer too.

Zhane squeezed between two shacks and checked to see if anyone was watching. When he could see no one was around he morphed. Liquid silver streamed across his body and his connection to the grid multiplied his power.

The Silver Ranger stomped around the corner. The gang saw him and split running off in different directions. Zhane knew which one he wanted. He chased the guy down and slammed him into a wall.

"Let me go!" The guy tried to stick his knife into the Silver Ranger's armor. It didn't go in. Instead, it slipped through his fingers cutting his hand open. "Ahh!"

Zhane felt a dozen pairs of eyes watching him. They wanted to see what the Silver Ranger would do.

The guy needed to be punished. Zhane couldn't force him to do community service, there was no prison he could throw him in. If he just let him go, he would do what he had been doing in a new location.

Zhane thought back to all the beatings he received as a child. The other slaves had looked at him just like the crowd looked at this man now. Physical violence was effective to make an example, but that was not who Zhane wanted to be. The Silver Ranger was a paragon of justice. That's what Andros would have wanted.

Forgiveness. They needed a second chance. Trey had given Zhane a second chance at life just over a year ago. Zhane could give this man one too.

"If you ever hurt these people ever again, I will come for you." He spoke loud enough for the entire crowd to hear him. "Understand?"

The guy shook his head. Zhane let go and he fell to the floor. The knife clattered on the ground as he ran off.

Zhane went back to their container and tore the door off its hinges. It was good to show the crowd what he could do. Only one gang member was in the shack standing guard. He immediately put his shaking hands up. Three women lay on the ground, their hands and feet were tied, clothes shredded.

The Silver Ranger gave the last guy the same speech and he ran out the door.

Zhane untied the women. One ran off immediately after her feet were free. Another said "thank you" before going out the door. The last just curled herself into a ball, crying.

The Silver Ranger's work was done, but Zhane felt like he should stay.

"Are you okay?" He asked after a long pause.

"Yes..." she whispered.

"I'm sorry about those guys. They won't bother you again. You're safe with me." Zhane crouched down to her level. "I am the Silver Ranger."

"I have heard that the machines have been defeated by the silver hero..."

"Not by me. My friend gave his life to throw them off this world." Zhane felt he needed to do something for her. "What is your name?"

She spoke after sniffing a bit. "My name is Karone. I... work on a farm with my family just outside of town."

"What brought you here?"

Karone turned and looked at him. "I'm looking for my brother. The empire sent him to the mines a few years ago for saving food to feed our family..."

"I worked the mines all my life. Your brother sounds like a good man. I'll do whatever I can to help you find him."

She studied his armor. "Do you know a boy named Andros?"


	9. Yellow Ambiguity | Green Apathy

**Chapter 8**

**Yellow Ambiguity**

Trini didn't know how she felt. She was nervous, but there was something else, a small bit of resolve driving her forward. Maybe it was fueled by her experience as a ranger. Maybe she just wanted to get it over with.

Her mom was in the kitchen, preparing meat for enchiladas, her dad was at the dining room table, reading the paper. They were a living cliche.

"Morning sweetie," Trini's dad said, not looking up from the paper. There was a mostly empty plate in front of him. He had just finished eating breakfast.

"Hello Trini," her mother greeted, looking at her intently waiting for Trini's response.

Trini knew exactly what her mom wanted. She wanted her daughter to be a bright ball of sunshine, happy and optimistic all the time. Trini couldn't bring herself to say anything. It was all so fake. Trini's parents expected her to recite her lines like her life was one of the tv shows they watched instead of communicating with each other, fake drama and everything.

Even if she had said 'hello,' it wouldn't give them any new information. They would just move on to their next line, 'how are you?' And she would be expected to reply 'fine.' Of course, this reply wouldn't be enough for them. They would complain that something more must be going on with her and tell her she needed to communicate more.

There were two aliens on the loose and they could attack at any moment. She was keeping so many secrets, she was having a hard time keeping it all straight. Even she didn't know how she felt. How was she supposed to feel? All she knew for sure was that she was a Power Ranger and that her friends were the most important thing in her life. Those two facts kept her grounded. Everything else didn't have to be simple.

It's not like they actually cared how she was feeling anyway. Sure, they cared enough to hear about it, but not enough to do more than give her the old platitude about how everything would be just fine eventually.

Trini's parents didn't even really want to hear about any of her problems despite their complaining. They wanted everything to be normal all the time. They needed her to be "fine" all the time. Nothing special going on, nothing ever changing.

Hell, they needed Trini to refuse to say anything. Arguing with each other about how she "doesn't communicate" had become the only reason they ever talked to each other anymore.

Trini's mom kept up her intense stare, visibly frustrated.

Even though she spoke perfect English, Trini's mom was culturally Mexican and very Catholic. She had tried to teach Trini Spanish when she was younger, but Trini could only understand it, she never learned to speak it. Her mom was a second-generation American and constantly complained that she was losing her heritage.

Trini's dad still had not looked up from his newspaper. He grew up in Egypt in a Coptic Christian family. They immigrated to the US when he was a child. Even though he had become fairly Americanized himself, he still held on to a lot of outdated ideas.

Trini's parents dragged her to mass every Sunday morning at Angel Grove's only Catholic Church. Her father complained it was too liberal, but he thought that about all of California. He talked a lot about "family values", which was strange because he hadn't actually spent any time with his family in the last few years. Apparently, "family values" meant working all the time and ignoring your wife and kids.

Trini's mom was the opposite. "Overly attentive" was an understatement. She doted on her sons, always complaining that they were growing up too fast.

Her big thing was that 'familia' was the most important thing in the world. She repeated the word like a mantra, 'familia'. She would constantly remind her children 'blood is thicker than water', as if that meant anything. It drove Trini nuts.

For almost a week, Tommy's smirk dominated her thoughts. That crooked smile finally settled something about herself, Trini liked girls. Tommy was so hot, there was no doubt about that. Now that she wasn't acting to get Jason alone, she swaggered around the school in black combat boots like she owned the place. She had a badass punk look that told everyone she didn't care.

Tommy was out and proud. She hated to admit it, but she was what Trini wanted to be. Trini needed to live authentically. She ached to be who she was, and not care what anyone thought. And it had to be now.

She looked at one parent, then the other. "Mom, dad. I have something to tell you." She was just going to come out and say it. Neither of her parents actually stopped what they were doing to listen. "I'm not..." she couldn't say the word. It wasn't that she hated herself or her preferences, it was the label.

Tommy's smile flashed through her mind. Tommy would have just told them and let them deal. Trini wished she had that strength too. Fuck the labels. Fuck everything.

"I'm gay." Trini felt a weight lift off her shoulders. If only she could do the same with being a ranger.

Her relief was cut short. "No you're not," Trini's father stated harshly. He had finally put his paper down and was leaning toward Trini on the table. There was an anger in his eyes that he only saved for people he hated. "No one in this house is gay."

"That is not a funny joke to make, Trini," her mom said.

"It's true. I like girls, not boys."

"Homosexuality is an abomination! Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13."

"The Bible has more verses than that about how you shouldn't eat pork," Trini pointed to the unfinished bacon on the plate in front of her father.

His face turned bright red. "Don't you change the subject, sinner!" He yelled as he stood up. "When you die you are going to be judged by God!" He walked right up to Trini and pointed his finger in her face. "What are you going to say when you stand before Him!?"

Trini refused to say anything. There was nothing to say, nothing he would accept.

"Answer me!"

He looked like he was going to hit her. Trini had never seen her father become violent, she didn't even know if he was capable of that. A big mistake if he did, but that was his problem.

"You are not gay! Do you understand!?"

"I have a girlfriend," Trini lied. She wanted to hurt him, hurt him like he was hurting her. "We make out in my room while you're at work."

"Are you hearing this, Maria!?" he asked, as if he was actually listening to anyone but himself. "How could you do this to me!? I have done everything I can to raise you properly!"

Trini held her ground, looking up into his eyes. He hated her and she wanted to destroy him. "Can my girlfriend come to dinner tonight?"

"No! In fact, you cannot live here," Trini's dad said. "I won't have anyone thinking I condone what you do." He turned his back on his daughter.

"Fine, I'll be out today." Trini turned and stomped up the stairs, passing the pictures of family on the wall without looking. She opened the door to her room, trying to not think about her situation. Where would she live? How would she eat? What would she do?

At least she could answer one of those questions. She could easily live in the ship. It had a room for her. She had already moved in some of her clothes so she wouldn't have to train while wet all the time.

She opened her backpack and packed her laptop around her schoolwork. She grabbed her phone charger and some extra clothes and stuffed those in too.

Trini's mom appeared in the doorway. She was trying not to be intrusive. It wasn't working.

"Sweetie," Trini's mom cooed. "Could you just... Not be gay?... For your father." She hadn't talked to Trini in that soft, motherly tone in years. It was annoying.

"I didn't choose to be a lesbian," Trini stated flatly. Her mom visibly bristled at the word 'lesbian.' Trini still hated the label, but it evoked the desired effect.

Trini's mom still kept her distance. "You don't dress gay. Your hair is long..."

"Ugh," Her mother was obviously acting, putting on some kind of show to make everything better. She was, finally, trying to be a mother. But only now, at this moment? Trini wasn't going to fall for it. Where the fuck was she when dad was yelling at her? It's not like she ever had a problem dealing with him before.

"When did this happen?" Trini's mom asked.

That's a stupid question. Trini refused to answer.

"How did it happen?"

Another stupid question. Trini stopped packing to look her mom right in the eye. She thought about explaining how genetic components, exposure to testosterone before birth, and how a myriad of environmental factors could all play a role, but none of it mattered. Her parents believed what they believed, and they were never going to change. They lived in a house with a white-picket fence and their 2.5 kids, and they were willing to destroy their relationship with their daughter to keep it.

To them, everything had to be categorized. Far from letting in a single sliver of uncertainty, everyone needed a label. Everyone had to be put in a box and never let out, never allowed to grow, never allowed to change. They thought it made them good people.

"You wouldn't get it," Trini said. Not that her mom would get why she couldn't get it.

Trini went back to packing. She started throwing random items into her backpack. She didn't know what she would need, and at that moment, stopped caring.

She slung her backback over her shoulder and stomped out of the house. Trini couldn't bring herself to look in the dining room. She did not want to see him. He probably just wanted to get one more sanctimonious remark in anyway. Trini nearly tore the front door off its hinges when she opened it, and didn't bother closing it when she passed through the threshold.

Sunlight burned her eyes, so she covered her eyes and looked down, but she kept moving forward. She trudged down the porch, across the grass, and came to the sidewalk. She stopped. She had to take one last look. With a clenched fist, she craned her neck.

Someone had closed the door. They really weren't going to come after her. That was why her mom didn't stand up to her dad. She agreed with him. Trini has to go. So much for 'familia'.

Trini made her way down the street and found a secluded place in the park. She plopped herself down, trying to hold as still as possible, struggling with keeping herself from shaking. She needed... Well she didn't really know what she needed, but she wanted to be with her friends.

The world moved while she was planted to the ground. Time became irrelevant. People lived their short little lives and died before she could finish a breath. Civilizations rose and fell, yet Trini remained. The entire world shifted all around her and brought her to Jason's house.

Teleportation. It wasn't at all like Jason or Kim had described. She was sure she wasn't the one who moved, it was the rest of the world that went around her.

She found herself across the street from Jason's truck. He and Zack were working on it. Trini could hear them arguing with each other about some stupid thing. Jason's arms were outstretched. His hands were black with engine grease. Zack gave Jason that attitude he always carried around.

Billy sat nearby, completely focused on his laptop. Every few seconds he would stop, look up into the air or off in the distance mouthing something to himself, then go right back to the screen. The guy had gotten used to Zack and Jason fighting like an old married couple.

Kim wasn't with them, but Trini didn't want to talk to her right then. She wanted to talk to someone who knew what she was going through. She walked up to the guys, they actually stopped arguing to greet her before she could say anything.

"Hey, Trini."

"What's up, crazy girl?"

Billy looked up from his laptop. "Trini!"

They were all happy to see her. They wanted her around. "Hey. Zack, can I talk to you?"

"Everything okay?" Jason asked.

Trini didn't answer for a moment, she didn't know what to say. Eventually, she just turned and walked away kicking herself. Jason was like a brother. It shouldn't have been that hard to talk to him.

She got back across the street before footsteps announced Zack's arrival. Trini stopped and turned her body toward him, but kept her gaze across the street, down the block, anywhere but at him.

"What's wrong, Trini?" Zack asked.

Trini felt a tear growing in her eye, but pulled it back. "I told my parents I like girls."

She looked up at him. He was dressed like a 1950's grease monkey, blue jeans and a white shirt. As befitting his color, there was a splash of old motor oil on his chest.

"They uh..." Trini continued. Zack waited patiently for her to finish, he was always cool like that. "They didn't take it well... kicked me out..."

"Fuck 'em," Zack stated. He didn't even consider his words when he spoke. Nothing ever rattled him and he never quite grasped the gravity of the situation.

Trini didn't like what he said but she knew he was right. "I know, I know. But they're still out there... It's not like they're... dead..."

Zack tilted his head confused.

"You know. They're still there, in my old house. But..."

A look of acknowledgement passed across his face. "Yeah..." He looked away and his head twitched. Trini probably brought up something he didn't want to have to deal with, but at least he understood.

"How do you-" Trini started.

"Help me fix Jason's truck for him," Zack interrupted with his signature smirk. He tilted his head toward Jason working on his truck. Jason looked like he was doing just fine without them.

"Yeah, but-"

"The guy is hopeless without us," Zack interrupted again.

What was wrong with him? He really didn't want to talk about it. Why didn't he want to talk?

It didn't really matter. The more Trini thought about it, the more she realized she didn't want to talk about it either. "Okay..."

They walked back to Jason's garage. Trini set her backpack down next to Billy and grabbed a socket wrench. She didn't know how to fix a truck, but she wanted to help anyway.

* * *

**Green Apathy**

Tommy lay in bed well past 0700. She hadn't been sleeping. her alarm had gone off at 0530 like it usually did. She just refused to get up. That constant pulse of pain behind her eyeballs and the fact that it was always too fucking cold kept her from getting an ounce of sleep. She had already missed her morning workout and needed to get ready for school. She just didn't care.

Her phone buzzed for something like the twentieth time. She didn't bother to look at it. It was probably her trainer anyway.

The only thing Tommy wanted to do was make herself a bowl of cereal and go back to bed. If only the house was empty. The mere thought of having to talk with anyone left Tommy annoyed. She was hungry though...

Tommy finally rolled out of bed. Sitting in an upright position multiplied the pain in her skull. After squeezing the pain down into her head, she stared at the pile of clothes that completely hid the carpet. Her dad wouldn't approve of that, as if he was going to check.

With a groan Tommy slapped on the closest sports bra, t-shirt, and jeans. She pulled out a green flannel to round out her fabulous ensemble and stepped into her combat boots without tying the laces.

The bathroom mirror confirmed she looked like crap. Well, even crappier than usual. It wasn't like it mattered though, she didn't have anyone to impress. She ran her fingers through her hair a few times and she was ready for school.

She trudged downstairs. The tv was on, her mom was watching with rapt attention. A reporter droned on about some disaster somewhere, usual news stuff.

"Tommy!" Tommy's mom practically leapt off the couch and attached herself to Tommy's side.

"I'm fine mom," Tommy said, trying to pry her mom off of her. She knew exactly what this was about.

"I am so angry at your father. An attack happens right outside our house when I'm out of town with your brother. He left you all alone and all he can say is 'we're investigating'? We never had to deal with this when we lived on a base."

Tommy's mom finally let go. "I'm so glad you spent the night at your new friend's house. What did you say her name was?"

"Kim." Bile began welling in Tommy's gut. The burning in her stomach took her mind off of her headache.

She took three aspirin pills and debated taking a fourth, when a burst of movement forced her to look at the tv. It played through grainy video of Zedd that someone had taken with their phone. The rangers in their multicolored suits jumped around, flailing uselessly at him. Tommy's house was in the background. She rolled her eyes. Clearly, she hadn't missed much.

A fresh duty roster adorned the fridge door. Tommy's orders were to clean the bathroom, by which he meant 'spotless'. Tommy's dad must have come home during the night and left again before the sun came up. That must have been the first time he was home in five days. His priorities were pretty clear, fill out the duty rosters.

Tommy was sick of a father she never saw. He controlled her entire life, every minute. She was expected to exercise perfect discipline, she couldn't make a single mistake. There was always his career to think about. Any trouble she got into would reflect badly on him. As if his life was more important.

He had acted like the world had ended when she got into that fight in the cafeteria. He ordered her to do push-ups, berated her while she did them, and got mad when it wasn't difficult. That's what comes from forcing your daughter to do push ups whenever you see her, Tommy could do over one hundred in one set. He was so angry when she showed him fifty was no big deal. Come to think of it, that was the last time she had actually seen him.

The only break from him she ever got was training. He didn't like the fact that she had other priorities than the army, but he allowed her to have a career nonetheless. It got her away from him and his ego, but also took away all of what he called her 'bullshiting around time'.

"Something needs to be done..." Tommy's mom murmured while two talking heads squawked on the tv. Oh no! More evidence of alien activity. So what?

Suddenly, Tommy wasn't hungry anymore. And screw her duties, what was her dad going to do, come home to check? She grabbed her backpack before leaving the house without a word.

Outside, there were no less than five news vans parked on the sidewalk. Almost a week and they hadn't found another disaster to distract them. Tommy kept walking.

Some reporter charged at her, thrusting a microphone in her face. "Miss? Were you witness to the attack that occurred here six nights ago?" Tommy rolled her eyes and continued walking.

She actually knew a lot of extremely classified material. She knew her father was on a special assignment to investigate the Zeo Crystal. That was why he was transferred to Angel Grove in the first place, and why he was never home.

Tommy could recite the names and functions of each individual involved. Maybe she should have told the reporter everything. It's not like any of it mattered to her.

School wasn't that far, which was good because she'd have to walk. No job, no car. Just one more complication, one more thing to move twice a year.

There were a bunch of people hanging out outside the school when Tommy arrived. The halls were filled with kids. She didn't know any of them.

Tommy's locker was a few down from Zack's, he was just closing his when she got there. "Hey, Tommy." He walked by, the only guy in school without a backpack. Tommy nodded her head as he passed.

The day was the usual Monday. Tommy should have been trying to figure out whether she was behind in her classes. That was a constant task every time her family moved. Most of the time she was fine, but every once in a while she would have to catch up.

Fourth period ended for lunch. Tommy grabbed the easiest thing, a burger, fries, and a soda. Usually she'd have to watch what she ate, but her headache promised to go away if she ate all of it.

The kids congregated in their clumps, doing whatever civilian kids did. Not that she cared. Tommy never had any friends, so she sat wherever. Fuck the social order.

The breakfast club sat together nearby. Princess Kim glared at her the moment she entered the cafeteria, the stuck-up bitch. Like she didn't have anything better to do.

They talked back and forth, not that Tommy was close enough to hear what they were saying. They were together so much, why didn't they run out of things to talk about? They had to eventually, right?

No, they just kept talking. In fact, they started laughing at something Billy said. They kept smiling at each other. It was weird.

Fifth period was more of the same, Tommy fell asleep. She had a weird dream about a robot riding a tiger. It didn't matter and faded with the rest of the day almost immediately.

By the time sixth period started, Tommy needed a break. She ditched class and snuck into an empty spot behind a bunch of heating units. It was a small space, and the air was still fucking cold, but it would do. Every school Tommy had been to had a secluded place like it, usually decorated with drawings of dicks in permanent marker.

Tommy studied a particularly detailed dick while she lit a cigarette and took a drag. Tommy had no idea why anyone liked dicks, they were ugly, and stupid, and usually tiny. She did everyone a favor drew a nice big pair of tits, something everyone could enjoy.

She was halfway done with her cigarette when she heard someone approaching. Their feet didn't sound like an adult. Probably just some other kid coming for a smoke.

Trini glared at her when they came face to face. Her hand rubbed her no longer hurt leg.

Tommy have her a smirk and a wink. "Hey."

"What are you doing back here?"

"Having a smoke and admiring the artwork."

Trini looked at the wall, then at Tommy. She leaned on one of the heating units opposite her and looked away. Trini wasn't going to smoke, she wanted to get away for a second and be alone.

With nothing else to do, Tommy took another drag. They didn't talk, usually people talked during smoke breaks. But they weren't friends.

"Took your lame ass advice," Trini said, cutting the silence.

"Oh yeah, what was that?"

"Don't hide who I am. I told my parents I'm into girls."

Tommy could already tell it didn't go well. "How'd they take it?"

Trini looked right into Tommy's eyes. "My dad kicked me out."

Tommy winced. "Asshole." Even her own dad wasn't that cruel. And he didn't give a shit about her. Maybe that was the issue. Trini's parents cared too much. "That really sucks."

"Yeah... It really sucks." Trini's voice shook. She was just barely holding back tears. "Fuck the haters..." she repeated Tommy's line.

Tommy actually felt sorry for her. She dropped her cigarette butt and stepped on it. "Sorry your dad's a piece of shit."

Trini looked away again and went back to not saying anything, but Tommy could tell she wanted to talk. She glared at the sky and popped a stick of gum into her mouth.

Tommy slid her hands in her pockets. She didn't really have anything to say. What could she even say? She thought about lighting up another cigarette, the ache in her bones might go away if she did, but she decided against it.

She took a step to walk away when Trini's hand extended, offering her a stick of gum. "Thanks," Tommy said, before popping it into her mouth. It was watermelon flavored.

They both chewed for a bit, standing closer than they had been.

"So, how's the ranger thing going?"

Trini huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She obviously didn't want to talk about that. So they stood there as enemies, Trini occupying Tommy's space and there wasn't a damn thing she could do about it.

Trini's mouth curled just a little bit, like she wanted to say something. Her hair spun around her neck and down her back. She didn't flick it over her shoulder, it was wild and free, like a lion's mane. Studying eyes, relaxed fingers. Tommy noticed how big and inviting her lips were.

Tommy was suddenly embarrassed that she looked like shit. Her hair wasn't done, she was wearing weird clothes, Trini must have thought she was a freak. Tommy wanted to leave, but didn't want to go.

"So, I... uh..." Tommy didn't get to complete the thought before the bell rang, signaling the end of school.

Trini nodded her head as a goodbye and walked away.

The air was cold again without her there. A strange emptiness built in Tommy's chest, but she pushed it down, squeezing the gum between her teeth.

Her phone buzzed again. Tommy forgot she was avoiding looking at it and opened it for the first time all day. She had thirteen messages. All were from her trainer. The latest one said [You better be at the gym in five minutes.]

The vise on Tommy's head tightened. Who the hell did this asshole think he was? She was Tommy Fucking Oliver. She could kick that out of shape has-been's ass.

Tommy typed out a response. [Fuck you] This guy was riding her coat tails anyway, using her to win trophies and further his own career. She wasn't about to be his mule.

She had only ever started fighting to get away from her dad and now he was gone. Tommy finally had more freedom than she had ever had in her life. She was done. [I quit]

[You can't quit]

[Yes I can]

[You'd be throwing away your career] That sounded perfect.

[Blocking your number]

With two clicks, he was gone. Tommy took a breath of fresh air. MMA was gone, she had nothing to do for the entire afternoon. What did people even do with their free time?

That emptiness came back in full force. Who was she? What was she supposed to be doing?

All her life, Tommy's dad had given her orders. Sometimes she didn't follow them, and he would yell, then go right back to his own thing, like she didn't even matter. Her entire life belonged to him and he didn't even care.

Tommy looked around the school. All the kids walked like they had somewhere to be, something to do, friends to see. But Tommy never had any friends.

Her mind went back to the fight she had started in the cafeteria, the one that had gotten her detention. Her fist tightened and her nose flared. Tommy really wanted to punch someone.


	10. Black Distraction | Red Hands

**Chapter 9**

**Black Distraction**

Zack didn't feel like sleeping, he needed to do something.

Jason probably wouldn't like Zack's midnight patrols. He wouldn't understand how important it was. That Zedd guy could attack at any time, and, when he did, it would probably be at night. Zack would be there before any of the others even got out of bed.

Zack probably couldn't beat Zedd on his own though. But someone needed to tell the team what was going on. They really needed a better communication system than texting, but Zack couldn't think of one.

Zack put on an old gray sweatshirt and covered his head with the hood. He took a short walk through the trailer park. Everything was falling apart, rusted, and rotting. The ocean air was hard on wood and metal. A monster attacks downtown, so they get a shiny new downtown. If only they could have a new trailer park. At least it was quiet.

Jason would call him reckless. But what Jason didn't know, wouldn't hurt him. If there was an attack, he might even admit it was a good thing that Zack was out on patrol.

When Zack came to the last home, he took a good look at his surroundings. Everything was still. Nearly effortlessly, he jumped over the home and the fence surrounding the park. He landed on the sidewalk on the other side without a sound.

There wasn't anything on the other side but fields. The road was pitch black. He looked east toward the gold mine. Sometimes, Kim came through to hike the trails. He wondered if he would run into her.

Zack looked west, down the road into town. Last time he made it to the hole where the Krispy Kreme was in 54 seconds. He knew Kim could do it in under 50. She was the fastest. If she wanted to, she could probably keep up with freeway traffic on her morning run. But tonight Zack was going to beat her time.

As he took out his phone to time himself, he suddenly felt like he was being watched. There were no cars on the road and he couldn't see anything out of the ordinary, even with his enhanced vision. He had been having that feeling a lot since they took down Goldar, so it was probably nothing.

He hit the timer on his phone and took off, full speed, toward downtown. His feet barely touched the ground as the world blurred past him. He stopped by catching himself on a fire hydrant. He hit the timer on his phone before gravity could catch up. It read 52 seconds and some change. He still had a ways to go.

Downtown was quiet too. It was being rebuilt after the Goldar attack and the workers always went home at 7. They couldn't work during the night, Billy said something about city council and noise pollution. Zack didn't know, he wasn't really listening.

Zack decided to do the responsible thing and make a circle around the area to look for anything suspicious before climbing the crane. It was the tallest thing in town, but the building it was working on was finished. The workers would probably move it any day now.

Zack noticed immediately that there were more white vans than usual. They were all labeled with a different business, Angel Plumbing, Jefferson Construction, TJ's Electrical. Zack wondered how many were legit and how many were government. No wonder he felt like he was being watched all the time.

Zack's mom had been glad he had been going back to school for the last few weeks. It made him feel good. They were all they had left. Well, now Zack had his friends too. She was overjoyed to meet them. He wished he could tell her he was a Power Ranger. She would be proud of him, one last time before she-

'DAMN IT!' Zack screamed inside his head. He couldn't go ten minutes without thinking about it. And once he thought about it, he couldn't not think about how his mom-. He winced, trying to get the thought out of his head.

Zack crossed a dark street. A few seconds later and he was down by the marina. Zack opened a nondescript door on the side of an old fish processing warehouse. It was totally empty inside except for some rusted factory parts. That wasn't what he was looking for. He descended some stairs to a boiler room.

A bunch of people were inside, yelling at the two guys fighting in a cage at the center.

The crowd was pretty big for a small fishing town. That's what happens when you mix an army of pissed off construction workers with a bunch of local sea dogs. Zack found the guy arranging the fights. "How much if you win?"

The guy looked Zack over. He wasn't impressed. "$200."

"I'm next."

The guy huffed. "Your funeral, pretty boy. You're up in two."

Now that he was closer to the ring, he got a good look at the fighters. One was a sailor, top heavy with tats up and down her arms. The other was Tommy Oliver, darker skin, no tattoos, and those feet set like she was ready to kill someone. Zack snorted when he recognized her.

Tommy threw a wild haymaker. The sailor dodged and jabbed her in the side. She pushed forward, punching wildly. Tommy got lucky with a sidestep and got some distance, but not after taking a few hits. Tommy was hurting. The sailor had her.

There were no weight classes, the sailor was huge. Throwing that punch was crazy, but Tommy wasn't going to win if she didn't finish it quickly.

Squaring off again, Tommy got in close and threw another strong punch, that same dumb risk. She was supposed to be a striker, Zack knew that from personal experience. Why was she suddenly so bad at it?

The sailor grabbed at Tommy through the exposure, but she twisted out and struck hard twice. One punch went across the chin and the other right into the forehead.

The sailor pushed through it trying to stay on the attack. Tommy circled and the sailor went for a jab to keep her back. With her guard dropped, Tommy unleashed a kick, her shin cracked against the side of the lady's head.

The sailor staggered and Tommy punched her in the face over and over as she went down. The ref finally pulled Tommy off of her, ending the fight.

Tommy grabbed a towel and stared at the floor.

"Good fight."

She flinched when she saw him. Then she glared for a few seconds. "Thanks." Tommy went back to toweling her face.

"I saw what you did."

She eyed him again.

"She fell for the stupid punch the last time thinking you were gonna fuck it up again. It was a risk, but it paid off."

Her expression relaxed. "Are you gonna get up there? Or are you just betting?"

"I'm on after this one."

"Shit. Glad I won some money just now." Tommy put some ice on her cheek.

The next two fighters entered the cage. The ref started yelling something no one could hear over the shouting.

"Why do it though?" Tommy asked. "It's not like it's a challenge for you."

"My mom's insurance doesn't cover her meds anymore." The insurance company dropped her, saying she went past her limit. She needed a refill in a few days, but Zack didn't want to think about that. "This is the easiest way to get money."

"Jason's cool with it?"

"I didn't ask." Zack wasn't worried about Jason. "Why do you do it? Challenge?"

"Saving up to buy a car," Tommy said sarcastically. Then she looked away, like she was guilty or something. "I don't know."

"Thought you did legit MMA."

"Too many rules."

Zack had to laugh at that one. "You like the rush."

"You got a problem with that?"

"No." Zack knew he liked Tommy for a reason. "I know that feeling. You get close to dying and all the bullshit falls away."

Tommy searched him out of the corner of her eye. "Yeah, well, this is the closest I can get to fighting rock monsters anymore." She flipped a shirt over her shoulder and walked away. "You better win, I'm putting money on you."

Zack's fight was hard. His opponent was a big dude, and, unfortunately for Zack, he was not slow. Zack had to act like he was just barely faster than the other guy so he didn't get hit or grabbed.

If the guy actually landed a good punch, he would have broken his hand. And if the guy managed to grab him, Zack didn't know if he could stop himself from laughing. What was he going to do? Break his arm?

With all the people watching, somebody might suspect something. Claiming to be Bruce Lee's illegitimate son probably wouldn't work. Then Zordon would want to talk at him or some bullshit.

The guy was way overconfident. Every time he threw a punch, Zack would tap him. Well, it felt like a tap anyway. The guy acted like Zack hit him with a steel beam. A few taps on the body and one good tap on the head and he was floored.

Zack collected his winnings and got out of there before anyone could ask him any questions. Tommy gave him a nod on his way out. She was a good kid, perfect for the team. Jason and Kim just couldn't let the shit go.

Back on the street, Zack headed back downtown. A white van turned onto the street behind him. Zack didn't change course. Whoever was in the van didn't know who he was, and they weren't going to blow their cover to give some kid a warning about being out after curfew. On the other hand, he wasn't going to stare it down either. He played it cool.

Zack turned down an alley. When he got out of sight, he jumped onto the roof of the closest building. He silently made his way around, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, around the van.

They worried too much. He was fine, Trini's leg had healed, Billy didn't die, and Kim looked badass with two black eyes. Zack didn't really care about the whole mind-control thing Billy was stuck on. But Kim... Kim had problems. It couldn't just have been seeing Tommy beat the shit out of them, something must have been going on with her.

He jumped off the roof he was on and landed on the sidewalk. He kept going.

They just needed to be able to roll with whatever happened. People do stuff, they can't just freak out every time someone does something they don't like. Sometimes bad shit is gonna go down, they can't save everyone. Especially not with all the damn rules.

Zack circled back around to the crane. His job was done, he was ready to do something crazy. In three leaps he made it to the top of the crane. He had a great view of the whole town. He should have started with that and watched from there. Much less work than going on patrol, and he liked being somewhere they didn't want him to be.

He sat with his feet dangling over the edge. Yellow light crept over the mountains and the stars faded away. That was his favorite part, when he could see the whole town and the ghosts of the people who lived there.

They were all going to wake up and start moving around. And Zack would go back home to get some sleep and maybe catch second period.

He could see the white van that had been following him. It parked a block away. One of the two vans below him started up and moved to the other side of the road. Zack could have sworn there were three vans before. Whoever it was, they weren't trying to be inconspicuous. What were they doing?

Zack walked out to the end of the crane arm and crouched. There was a homeless guy sleeping on the rooftop directly below. All the action was directed in this specific spot.

Zack dropped from the crane, morphing as he fell. He landed in full armor with a loud 'BOOM'.

The homeless guy recoiled from the noise. No, not fear, confusion. He was more shocked than afraid. He was trying to understand what he was seeing. The guy was staring at Zack's armor. It was almost like he was sizing him up.

"What are you doing here?" Zack asked.

The not-homeless guy tried to mumble something and stood up. He adjusted the blanket around himself and walked away. Then he hunched himself over. "The black one is here," he whispered and headed toward the door to the roof. Zack followed him.

"I've been made." The guy straightened himself, turned around to face Zack, and shrugged off the blanket.

"I'm not here to fight," Zack reassured him. "What's going on?"

The guy folded his hands in front of himself.

"Not answering?"

The guy's only response was a glare. His silence itched Zack's mind.

The door to the roof burst open. A squad of soldiers in black armor leveled rifles at him. "ON THE GROUND! ON THE GROUND!" They wore helmets and masks, he couldn't see their faces.

Zack didn't change his stance. There were seven soldiers in full gear and the not-homeless guy pointed a pistol at him. This was not what Zack had in mind for the night. He was up for fighting Zedd, not some soldiers. Now he was stuck. Ranger armor was probably bulletproof, and they were kittens compared to his strength and reflexes, but they wouldn't know that.

They did keep repeating "On the ground!" and Zack was not about to do that. If they wouldn't chill, he might have to fight them.

Zack realized where he was, which specific roof it was. He was where the Krispy Kreme used to be, right above the Zeo Crystal. They had to be up to something.

"Seen any aliens lately?" he asked.

The soldiers held their guns on him. They had to know who he was. Phone videos of them fighting Rita's putties were all over the internet.

"Yeah, I'm not afraid of bullets. Got anything bigger?"

The soldiers opened fire on him.

The first bullet bounced off of his helmet. Zack didn't feel it. He was definitely bulletproof. More hit his chest, arms, and legs. One hit his dick. One of those bastards aimed at his dick.

Zack moved forward when they ran out of ammo. He grabbed two guys and pulled them out of his way. They weren't going to stop him from seeing what they were doing. The world hadn't been destroyed, so they hadn't moved it at the very least.

Just as he touched the door, something roared behind him. The soldiers shot at something else. Zack looked over his shoulder to find a hulking gray pig monster behind him. It studied him with beady little eyes.

* * *

**Red Hands**

Jason reached for the beeping phone that woke him up. The time said he still had a half hour of sleep. He had a text that said [Downtown]. There wasn't a number listed to it.

The meaning was clear enough. Zordon wanted him downtown. He morphed and teleported.

Morning sunlight reached over the mountains. Trini was already there, spinning her sais around her fingers. "You forget your sword, boss?"

It was in the command center, he wasn't about to go get it. Jason ignored the question. "What's going on?"

Trini looked around for anything odd. "Not sure. I just got here too."

Kim landed and notched an arrow. "Someone needs to tell Zedd _some_ of us have morning routines we need to complete _before_ we start fighting."

"Do you see him?" Jason asked.

"No, but who else would it be?"

"I can think of someone." Rita had appeared just down the sidewalk with her staff slung over her shoulders and smirking at them.

The rangers were ready this time. Trini and Kim pointed their weapons at her, but she kept her eyes on Jason. She nodded to something behind him. He wasn't about to take the bait.

"He wants to talk to you, Red," Rita said.

Jason could feel Zedd's gaze on his back. He was behind him, waiting. He kept his focus on Rita. She wasn't going to get away again. "You're coming with us."

Rita smiled and rolled her eyes.

Zack, in his black armor, crashed into the ground. Some kind of ogre roared on a roof above him. The thing was as big as a car.

"Down, Squat." Rita waved her hand and the monster disappeared. "You didn't think Goldar was the only one, did you? No, I've got more." With a flick of her fingers a new monster appeared. This one was tall and thin with fangs and wings. "That one's my least favorite. Let's see if you can kill it." Rita laughed before teleporting away.

Zack got to his feet. "I'll go get my zord and take this thing down."

"No escalation," Jason said. "We can take it without them." He looked to Kim and Trini who nodded.

"There's also some government guys doing something to the Zeo Crystal in there," Zack said. He pointed to the new structure that had been built over the old Krispy Kreme. A soldier stood on the roof. "I didn't get to see what."

If anyone was trying anything with the Zeo Crystal, they had to stop it. Jason took a look at Zedd, waiting for him down the street. He winced. He needed to be in too many places at once.

"I'll get Billy on it. You guys take that thing."

Kim jumped up onto a roof to get a good shooting position while Trini and Zack circled around it. Jason felt a little lighter knowing they would take it down.

Jason sent Billy a message, and gave him instructions on what he needed to do.

A car came around a corner and screeched to a halt right behind Zedd. He didn't react. Another car came behind it and rear-ended it. A few cars started piling up behind Jason. Traffic was starting to build up. People had to get out of their cars to get out of there.

Jason walked up to Zedd, trying to think of a plan. He wouldn't hurt anyone if Jason could help it. They met just a foot apart, face to whatever Zedd had instead of a face.

"Red ranger." Zedd turned his head to look at Jason. "Clearly you have learned nothing since our last meeting. In fact, you seemed to have picked up a bad habit."

Jason wasn't going to let Zedd get to him. He wanted him angry, frustrated, thrown off balance. Jason planted his feet to the ground. "What do you want?"

"I am here to prepare you." Zedd said, his arms still at his side, as if he saw Jason as a fly in his kitchen. All Zedd had to do was swat him away. He was going to find the red ranger wasn't someone he could just toss aside. The last time was a fluke, it wasn't going to happen again.

People gathered around, taking video. Jason hated when they did that. Didn't they realize they were getting in the way at best and potential targets at worst?

Zedd began to laugh.

Jason's heart sped up and he took a hard swing at Zedd.

Zedd met it with his own punch. The impact was a strange sensation. Jason had gotten used to everything crumbling under the force of his knuckles. He could flatten a car engine with as much muscle as he put into that punch. Zedd broke right through it.

"You are weak," Zedd kicked Jason into an empty car. It crumbled like cardboard under him and slammed into the car behind it.

Jason pryed himself out of the wreckage and ripped the car in half. Most of the crowd ran away in a chaotic frenzy. A few brave idiots hid behind cars videotaping them.

"See the enemy, destroy the enemy," Zedd taunted. "Again."

Jason's mind went back to when Tommy took his coin. He was powerless then, he needed power now. He wanted to tear the freak apart, just like he did to the car.

"Need some help, boss?" Trini's voice rang over the comm.

The back of Jason's neck shook. It wanted something, anger, strength. It promised he could crush Zedd if only he could tap into it. It was right under his skin, throbbing in that empty space where his armor hid when he wasn't using it. All he had to do was unleash it.

"No. I have him."

Jason grit his teeth as he let the power burn through his muscles and charged right at Zedd. His fist met Zedd's block. Zedd took his own swing, aiming for Jason's head. Jason blocked. They met each other, strike for strike.

Anger had given Jason both clarity and power. Far from unbalanced, he had finally found true focus. He was faster and stronger than he had ever been.

"Yes! That is it exactly!" Zedd bellowed. "More!"

Zedd struck harder and faster. Jason pushed himself to keep up. He had already flown past his limits and Zedd was only getting started. There was no way Jason could keep up. Three lightning-fast kicks forced him back. It was like his armor wasn't there. His power begin to fade.

"No. More!" Zedd ordered. "Take it!"

There was no more. Jason was a dying flame on a match, a mere wisp of what he was, flickering, nearly blown out.

In an instant, Zedd kicked Jason's knee and took him to the ground. Zedd crushed Jason down with his foot and dug his staff stabbed into his chest. That paralyzing pain followed. It wracked into him.

"I will make you take it!"

Jason wasn't going to give up without a fight. He pushed back with everything he had left. Zedd's foot just wouldn't come off of him. His vision blurred.

"Look!" Zedd ordered, pinning his head to the ground with his staff. Jason finally saw what Zedd wanted him to see.

A little girl stood on the sidewalk nearby, probably confused and disoriented from being in a car crash. She couldn't have been much older than Jason's own sister. "Mommy?"

What was he going to do?

Zedd looked down at Jason. They glared at each other through their visors. Jason struggled to get out from under Zedd's foot to no avail. Something was stopping him from teleporting. He felt empty, powerless.

"You cannot save her!" Zedd pointed his staff at the girl.

That evil fuck wouldn't...

A stream of fire erupted out of Zedd's staff.

He would...

Jason found his strength. He let that power roar into him. He jerked Zedd's foot off of himself and dashed forward, right into the flame's path. He got on his knees and put himself between the girl and Zedd, shielding her body with his. At the last instant, he put his hand over her face before they were both engulfed in flames. The little girl screamed.

Jason tried to concentrate enough to teleport out. His lungs wouldn't take in oxygen, his ears rang, and his thoughts were a hurricane. There was fire all around him and under his armor. This couldn't be real. He had to do something. He ordered himself to get her out of there. The screaming shook him to the core.

A simple reflex was the only clear thing in Jason's mind. 'Hold the ball as tight as you can, and run it to the end zone.' Buildings, cars, and people blurred past him.

Jason exhaled. He was in the hospital in seconds, but it had felt like an eternity. He could feel the little girl still writhing in his arms, still screaming. There was a lot of smoke.

"I have a burn victim here!"

Several people stood up. "Oh my god..." a woman whispered. Jason couldn't look.

A paramedic ran through the crowded waiting room. "Out of the way!" He yelled. "I need a stretcher!" Jason recognized the paramedic as Ernie, he regularly volunteered at the camp. "What happened?" He started checking her.

"That thing shot fire at her. I tried to shield her with my armor. I got her out as fast as I could."

A nurse rushed in with a gurney. Jason placed the little girl in it. He had to look. He wished he hadn't. Her arms and legs looked like cooked meat. All of the hair on her head had burned off. There was only one strip of uncharred skin over her eyes, nose, and some of her forehead. It was in the shape of Jason's own hand.

Jason wanted to ask if she'd be okay. He begged himself to go back in time just 30 seconds and do better. If they could only switch places... He would gladly take the burns so she didn't have to. He tried to wake up from a nightmare. But none of that would help now. All the power in the world couldn't help him. There was nothing more he could do.

"Get her into the ICU!" Ernie ordered. "I need..."

"The ICU..." They went back and forth. The yelling faded out of Jason's mind.

He looked at his hands. His armor was pristine, practically glowing. He felt energy surging inside himself. The ringing returned and the world went gray. He could only see one thing.


	11. Blue Compromise | Pink Coordination

**Chapter 10**

**Blue Compromise**

Billy promised he would only stay asleep for five more minutes when his text tone chimed. It was still dark, it wasn't time to get up yet.

It had to be Zack. Didn't that guy know most teenagers suffered from a lack of sleep? After drifting off for 34 seconds, he remembered that Jason said an attack could come at any time, so he looked at his phone.

The most-recent message was from Jason. [Get to the Krispy Kreme. The government is up to something.]

Billy rubbed his eyes and morphed so he could talk to whoever else was morphed. "What's up, Jason?"

"There you are, Billy," Jason said. "I need you to check out the crystal. Make sure nobody's doing anything to it. Remember what Alpha said about what happens if they move it?"

"Yeah, I remember," Billy said. 'It would be like 10,000 nuclear bombs washing over Earth.' It would kill everything on the planet. He started feeling nervous.

"You don't even have to fight anybody. Just see what they're doing. Good luck, Billy."

His friends needed him to do something, so he was going to do it. Billy teleported across the street from the hole where the Zeo Crystal had been buried. There was a new building there. It was about three stories tall and it looked finished, but something was off. The glass door in the front was boarded up. The second and third stories didn't look like living space. And the nearby crane wasn't necessary to build a structure of that size.

Billy wanted to see what was going on. Trini and Zack were fighting a weird monster down the street. Jason and Zedd stared at each other around a corner.

The white van to Billy's right practically burst open. "Freeze!" A soldier pointed a gun at his head. There were four more soldiers, all armed, behind him.

Billy remembered what his mother told him and reflexively put his hands up. "Don't shoot! I'm so sorry!" He realized he shouldn't have to surrender. The Power Rangers were the good guys, they didn't fight soldiers. In fact Jason told him he didn't have to fight.

"You're coming with us." They led him toward the building at gunpoint. He cooperated since that was where he was going anyway.

The soldiers brought Billy through a metal door on the side of the building. Inside, three more soldiers stood guard. The building looked more like a warehouse than a place to buy donuts. It was almost completely empty. Even the second and third floors were missing, they were just empty space. The whole thing was fake.

Light poured out of a hole near the center of the area. A set of cement mixers sat in a circle around a funnel pointed down the hole. There was also a huge amount of rock aggregate on a hydronic lift, ready to be dumped. It looked like something that was thrown together at the last second, but, if they were going to bury the Zeo Crystal, it would get the job done.

There was a table, several cots, and chairs in the back. Billy didn't get a chance to count them all. A guy in a lab coat descended an open elevator at the edge of the hole.

The soldiers brought him to a room with a desk and two chairs. Billy sat in one.

An old guy in army camouflage walked into the room. "Thank you gentlemen." The soldiers walked out of the room and closed the door. "My name is Sergeant Oliver. I am going to ask you a few questions." He took a seat in the other chair.

Oliver? That was Tommy's last name, and she said her dad was in the army. This must have been the guy.

"Alright..." Billy knew he probably couldn't answer most of what he would be asked.

"Who are you?"

"The Power Rangers." He really should already know that. Everyone did. The Goldar incident had been all over the internet.

"What is your name?"

"I cannot tell you that."

"Why not?"

"Rule 3: Never reveal your identity, ever."

"You are constrained by rules."

There was a long silence while Billy waited for the next question. Tommy's dad stared at him for a long time. Too long. Hold on, was the last thing he said supposed to be a question? "Yes?" Billy held his breath.

The guy's face changed slightly, his eyes narrowed. "Are you human?"

If he narrowed his identity down at all, they might be able to find him. "I cannot tell you that either."

"What are your orders?"

"To protect the Zeo Crystal."

"From what?"

"Any threat, I guess. Usually, that means aliens, but right now, I think you guys qualify."

Tommy's dad stopped talking again. He was difficult to talk to, he never broke eye contact. Billy couldn't tell if he was mad, it made him uncomfortable. "Why is protecting the Crystal important?"

"'Cuz if you move it, it'll be like 10,000 nuclear bombs washing over Earth." It was the same thing Alpha had said, so it was probably the most accurate description. Tommy's dad didn't react. He probably didn't understand. "Look, the last time someone tried to mess with the crystal, the Red Ranger called down the meteor that kicked off the K-T Extinction."

"I've heard enough." Tommy's dad got up. "Thank you for your cooperation."

"Wait. What are you doing with the Zeo Crystal?"

"All information on this project is classified. Stay here." He ordered as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Billy wasn't about to stay put. There had to be a guard stationed right outside the room, but he could get around that. He teleported through the building to hide around the cement mixers. There weren't many guards around and none of them were looking anywhere near him, so he figured he was safe for a while.

Looking around, he found crates and detection equipment. He recognized several brand-new semiconductor detectors and an infrared camera. With all the construction that was going on in the town, it would be pretty easy to sneak all that stuff in. The place would have been a playground if Billy didn't have better equipment on the ship.

Between a box of photographic plates and a gravimeter, he found an important-looking console. There were a bunch of words on it but only three got his attention, 'Fail Safe Delay'. A quick inspection revealed the panel was connected to the concrete mixers on top and operated by a lever. The lever itself has a steel cover on it. If he was right, it would release enough concrete and aggregate to encase everything in the chamber.

Billy thought about pulling it right then and there, but he wanted to make sure no one would get hurt. At the bottom of the pit, two armed soldiers and six people in lab coats stood around the Zeo Crystal.

They had everything down there. There wasn't much space between the spectrometers, several cables crossing the floor, and computers sitting on carts.

Nothing they had would work anyway. They didn't have the technology to measure the crystal's power. They didn't even have a scientific concept for what it actually was. 'Trans-dimensional' was a sci-fi concept to them. If any of the equipment would have been capable of detecting the crystal's power, they would have located it a long time ago.

There were also three jackhammers propped up against the wall. Those were only for digging. But why would they want to dig?

Billy overheard a conversation from below. "Four of them are in combat with two extra terrestrials." Tommy's dad was talking to a guy in a lab coat. "I have two squads outside in case of another attack and a sniper team monitoring the situation, but squad leaders have reported their weapons are ineffective."

"We will not be able to cover this up." The guy in the lab coat said. "All of our work is in jeopardy, and we have made so little progress."

"We should evacuate the building and engage the fail-safe plan immediately."

"I am accelerating the schedule. Use the crane to load the crystal onto a truck. It will be taken to a black site for deep study."

"I must advise against that, doctor. If-"

"Then you are relieved of your duty, Sergeant Oliver."

Tommy's dad saluted and marched to the elevator. One of the soldiers gave orders to open the roof into his radio. Others began moving equipment out of the way. Billy looked back to the lever.

If he pulled it, the concrete and aggregate would fall into the hole, burying everyone and everything in it. If he didn't, everything on Earth might die. Billy looked back and forth trying to reason through the problem.

The elevator brought Tommy's dad up to the top. The roof of the chamber opened up and a set of chains descended toward the crystal.

What was the minimum distance the Zeo Crystal could be moved without everything dying? Tectonic drift over 65 million years hadn't done anything. So it must have been possible to move slowly. What were the rules? Did it need to be in contact with the ground? Maybe it was okay to move as long as it was kept within Earth's biosphere. What if it got pulled down below the Earth's crust? Angel Grove was near a fault line. But it was a transform fault, not a subduction zone.

Tommy's dad passed Billy without seeing him. A soldier positioned a jackhammer on the ground below the crystal.

Billy was way off track. He had too many questions and no time. He tried to think of what Jason would do. There had to be a better way.

Billy jumped down into the pit, getting everyone's attention when he landed. "Stop!" Three soldiers stopped what they were doing and pointed their weapons at him. "I cannot let you take the Zeo Crystal."

"He is bound by rules and will not harm us. Proceed," the lead scientist ordered. Another soldier picked up a jackhammer.

"If you remove the crystal, it'll be like-."

"Do your jobs!" They didn't hesitate. The guy with the jackhammer positioned it at the base of the crystal, the others carried on with their work.

Billy grabbed the jackhammer and pushed the soldier away. He made sure not to push him too hard, Billy didn't want anyone to get hurt. Shots rang out and Billy felt his armor absorb several impacts, but he didn't feel shot. Apparently, their armor was bulletproof. This was going nowhere.

What was he supposed to do? "I don't- I don't want-" Billy's mouth ground to a halt. He couldn't even hear himself over the sound of gunfire, the crane lowering, and the cement mixers above him.

The lead scientist began arranging the chains around the crystal's body. The two soldiers guarding the security door shot at him from the catwalk. Another guy picked up a jackhammer and started pounding at the ground. Billy couldn't think with all the noise. "Stop! Please!" He had to get out.

Billy teleported to the switch above the hole. The fail-safe delay was set to 0. There was a steel cover protecting the switch. Normally, someone would have to turn a key and enter a passcode to unlock it. Billy crushed it in one hand and ripped the rest off.

He felt the jackhammering vibration in his feet. He was invincible, he should have had all the power in the situation. But he only had no choice. Billions of people were counting on him. Billy closed his eyes and pulled the switch.

An alarm blared. Rocks fell into the hole. The mixers tipped, releasing their gray sludge. Billy looked over the edge. The mix had already covered the crystal. Everyone inside was buried alive.

* * *

**Pink Coordination**

Kim jumped up a building to get a better view of the situation. They had to get it out of town, but the edge was a mile in any direction. That would be a long way to drag a 15-foot monster.

Zack and Trini attacked the monster from two opposite sides.

"This thing looks like a baboon," Zack said.

Kim didn't think it looked anything like a monkey, Zack must have been thinking of something else.

"It's stupid, like a baboon," Trini said.

Kim remembered that baboons were apes, not monkeys. And it did kind of look like a skinny blue ape with wings.

"I'm gonna call it Baboo from now on," Trini said.

It didn't matter what they called it. They needed to attack from the same side to push it out of town. "Guys, you need to attack it from the west."

Zack spun to look around. "Which way is-" Baboo knocked him through a store display with one of the disgusting tentacles it had coming out of its back.

A car sped through the battle, trying to get away.

Trini took the opportunity to actually circle west and charge it from there. It shot one of its tentacles the instant she committed to the attack. They hung over it's back like wings and allowed it to strike from all sides.

The spike on the end of the tentacle hit Trini in the chest and ground her into the pavement. Baboo moved forward to continue his assault.

Kim got in close, lined up a shot, and let an arrow fly. It pierced the tentacle, partially severing it. It detached from Trini's armor and reeled itself back in.

Baboo swung a tentacle, trying to tie up Kim's legs. Kim cartwheeled over it, letting the momentum of her feet carry her through the movement so she didn't have to touch the ground. Baboo came at her from the other side. Kim had to backflip to get a good enough distance from it.

Zack had picked himself up and went back to distracting Baboo. Kim took the opportunity to get back on the roof and look around. There had to be something that could make this easier, something they could use. She saw cars, buildings, construction equipment. Maybe they could use that.

A screech from a car brought Kim's attention back to the battle. Zack had attacked Baboo from behind, forcing it into the cars trying to get out of the way. "No Zack!"

Trini was trying to get up when Baboo stepped on her helmet trying to avoid Zack's wild axe swings.

"Get it off Trini!" This would probably go better if she just did it herself. That thought dropped quickly. She wouldn't be able to take Baboo alone.

With the monster backing away, Zack charged his gun and lined up a shot.

"No, Zack! You're going to hit something-"

"I got it," Zack groaned. Baboo shot a tentacle at him before he could take his shot. It latched onto the armor on his right shoulder and messed up his aim at the last instant. A mailbox on the other side of the street exploded, sending specks of molten metal in all directions. The glass window of a nearby store display shattered from the force of the explosion. Baboo started pulling Zack toward him.

Trini dug herself out of the pavement she had been crushed into. Zack made quick word of the tentacle chopping it clean off with his axe.

"Need some help, boss?" Trini asked. Kim looked down the street to where Jason had been. They hadn't made much progress pushing Baboo out of town. Zedd was still there, Jason wasn't.

"No. I have him."

Kim couldn't let Trini and Zack get distracted. She shot another arrow, forcing Baboo to move east to avoid it. "Focus, guys. Keep the pressure on that freak." Jason could take care of himself.

"This isn't working," Zack said as he held the monster at bay.

"I got an idea." Trini stated running away from Baboo.

"Stick to the plan, Trini," Kim said.

Zack kept swinging his axe at it. It stepped into a low charging position. Zack saw another opportunity to do something stupid. He flipped his weapon around.

"No, Zack! Get out of there!" Kim ordered. She fired another arrow to make it move back.

The damn thing screamed when Kim's arrow embedded itself into its leg but it charged anyway. Zack dove out of the way, taking a shot as it passed him.

Zack missed again. He blew a hole in the wall of a building on the other side of the street. "Shit!"

Kim saw Trini at a fire hydrant close by. It looked like she was trying to tear it apart, like ripping a page out of a book. Trini let go and started punching it

"What are you doing, Trini?" Kim asked.

Finally, with the sound of bending metal, Trini broke a hole in the hydrant. Water sprayed into the street. A lot of it collected in the hole Baboo had created when he slammed Trini into it. Kim still didn't understand what Trini was going for.

"Bring it here!" Trini kicked a power line. The wooden pole splintered and broke under the force of her foot, bringing the whole thing down.

Kim saw what Trini was up to. Now that they had a solid plan, Kim jumped off the roof. "Zack!" Cut the cable!" Kim pointed at the fallen power line.

Zack disengaged, before Kim could jump in so that Zack could do his job, Trini got Baboo's attention by throwing pieces of broken asphalt at it. Baboo started stalking up to Trini. Kim charged it from behind. One of its tentacles started tracking her, it looked like a snake stalking its prey. It forced her to back off and keep a good distance away.

Zack cut the cable, It whipped around, sparking with electricity. Baboo wasn't standing in the water, but they had it surrounded.

Trini charged. Baboo tried to keep her back with a tentacle. Kim tcame in from behind. It knocked Trini back but Kim kicked its ass. It staggered forward into the growing puddle of water.

Trini was the closest and didn't hesitate to throw the cable into the water. Baboo screamed and flailed around.

The 'hum' rose in pitch until a transformer on the next power line exploded. Baboo disappeared with a flash of red light.

Kim sighed. "Regroup at the ship." The three rangers teleported out.

They met at the Pit, each had unmorphed. Trini and Zack high-fived. They were all smiles, as if they didn't put everyone's lives in danger with their reckless behavior.

It wasn't fair. Kim was at least as good as Jason was at being a leader. Hell, she might have been better. What kind of leader tells his team to run a distraction while he goes and fights the main threat by himself? It was a stupid plan. Kim understood that each member of the team has their strengths and weaknesses. They needed to work together to be effective.

Sure, Trini ran off to go set up some plan she never explained, but it worked. Kim could have helped if Trini had taken the time to explain it, but, whatever. She was going to let that one go.

Zack was the big problem. He always just did whatever he felt like at the time. That plasma gun he found was more trouble than it was worth. He had never even hit anything with it in actual combat. What was with the guys on this team thinking they can solve everything by themselves?

"Zack!"

Zack sighed crossing his arms and turning his head toward Kim. "Kim." He looked like a kid about to be scolded by his mother. The fact that she had to play 'team mom' pissed her off more than a little. It should have been called 'being a fucking leader'.

"You shot and missed against my direct orders. That was reckless. Did it even cross your mind that people might be taking cover behind the walls you blew up? What if you hurt someone?"

Zack rolled his eyes. The guy was out of control. At least he was looking at her and not writing her off like he did to everyone else.

"Don't blame him." Trini grabbed Kim's arm and got in her face. "That was your fault."

Kim was completely caught off-guard. Trini's anger bled through her eyes. "My fault!?" Kim shook her confusion off. Trini had no right to blame her.

She was going to have to be diplomatic. "Trini," Kim started. "He wouldn't have tried that if the order had come from Jason."

"Yeah, because Jason would have been standing close enough that it might have hit him."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Jason would have been right there with us. You were far away on some roof shouting orders! You didn't even contribute!"

"I was telling you what you needed to do. And I saved your ass at least once."

"News flash! You are not our boss!"

"You call Jason 'boss' all the time!"

"I'm making fun of him. He doesn't act like he owns us!"

"I don't act like I own you!"

"No, Zack! No Zack, Nozack!" Trini mocked. "Sound familiar? All you have is criticism."

"You keep fucking up! Maybe if you worked harder-"

"Oh, like you've ever had a hard day of work in your life, Cheerleader."

Trini obviously called her that to mock her. Again, she didn't know what she was talking about. "Yeah, I was a cheerleader. I went to cheer practice every day and most weekends. I worked really hard and, here's the important part, I FOLLOWED ORDERS."

"Are you saying I don't work hard?"

"I question your dedication to the job."

"That's the bossiet thing I've ever heard."

"Don't be such a bitch!"

"This bitch could kick your ass!" Trini pointed a finger at Kim.

"Bring it!"

"Ladies-" Zack said.

Trini charged Kim, crushing her between a rock and her shoulder. It didn't hurt physically, the rock itself crumbled under the force of two rangers. It was the betrayal that hurt. How could someone Kim loved hate her that much?

Kim brought all of her weight down on her elbow, slamming Trini in the back, bringing her down. Trini slipped, letting Kim get her balance. Kim followed up with a hard knee, breaking Trini's hold.

If Trini wanted to fight, they would fight. She tried to grab Kim again. Kim sidestepped before Trini could react and punched her in the face. Kim punched her so hard, that a stabbing pain flew through her fist and up her arm. Trini staggered back a couple of steps and shook the disorientation out of her head.

Zack got between them. "Come on-"

"Not now, Zack!" Kim shouted.

Trini pushed him out of the way and unleashed a barrage of punches with a howl of anger. Kim silently blocked them. She wasn't going to give Trini the satisfaction of dragging her down to her level.

An opening in Trini's attack appeared and Kim took the chance to counterattack. Trini did some wrestling move, catching Kim's arm and holding it in place. Trini had it twisted behind her back. It was a dirty trick, like something you'd see in a cage match.

Trini thought she had beaten Kim. She was all stupid wrestling moves. Kim flipped around untwisting her arm and bringing her body over Trini's back.

If she liked wrestling moves, Kim had one for her. She grabbed Trini's shoulder and flipped her over, slamming her into the ground.

Trini pulled Kim onto the ground with her and reached for her throat. Kim brought her legs up to push Trini off of her.

Zack literally pried an enraged Trini off of Kim. He held her back while Kim got to her feet.

They locked eyes with each other. Trini's hair had gravel in it.

"I'm over this." Trini threw Zack's hand off and walked back to the ship.

Zack looked at Kim like he was going to say something. He didn't. He only shook his head and walked away.

Kim was livid. She couldn't control her team. Zack did whatever he felt like. Trini thought she could do better. And where the fuck was Jason?

The door opened revealing Jason in full armor. Speak of the devil... He jumped into the pit.

"Where have you been?" Kim asked.

Jason ignored her. "Alpha, give me Zedd." A hologram of Zedd constructed itself.

"I need to talk to you."

Jason put up his fists and started punching like a madman. The Zedd hologram didn't react at all. It just stood there. It had to be malfunctioning. If it was, Jason didn't notice.

He raged at a string of lights. It shouldn't have been something to get that angry over. "What happened?" Kim asked.

Jason held back for a moment and screamed like he was in pain. He took one last swing, putting all the power he could into one punch. It connected with the hologram, finally causing it to stagger back a half step.

"Hey!" Kim yelled. "Answer me!"

Jason pulled his helmet back and looked at her. "I fucked up!" His face was as red as his armor, tears had welled up in his eyes. "I'm not..." he pursed his lips and shook his head. He growled and went right back to his punching bag without another word.

"This is bullshit..." Kim walked back to the ship and left him with his anger.


	12. Yellow Explosion | Black Threshold

**Chapter 11**

**Yellow Explosion**

Trini's anger hit the breaking point. Who the fuck did Kim think she was? Jason didn't make her the leader, she just acted like she was. "This bitch could kick your ass!"

"Bring it!" Kim retorted.

It wasn't that Trini wanted to lead over Kim or that Trini wouldn't take orders. It was how Kim did it. She had to control everything from the back. It was like she thought that they should be grateful if she even lifted a finger.

Zack tried to get them to calm down. It had the opposite effect.

Trini was the one who came up with the plan that won it for them. And she had to do it all herself.

Trini charged Kim, slamming her into a wall with her shoulder. Trini regretted it the instant she felt the impact. Kim was being unreasonable, but she didn't deserve that.

Before Trini could even back off, Kim slammed her in the back with her elbow and back up with her knee into Trini's chest.

Kim pushed away from the wall, ready to keep going. Trini tried to grab Kim to get her to stop. Kim suddenly disappeared. Before Trini could turn her head, she felt something slam into her cheek.

Trini's ears rang. Not from pain, from anger. She was furious.

She found Kim standing there holding up a pink fist. The rest of her body was normal, but her right hand had morphed. The armor looked different than it usually did, sharper, like a knife. It pulled back, revealing the skin beneath, like it hadn't happend.

Zack said something Trini didn't catch, Kim yelled at him again. The bitch couldn't let shit go.

Trini had to push Zack out of the way to get to Kim. She swung her fists wildly. Kim blocked with a bitchy smirk. She always thought she was above everyone else.

Trini started to get a hold of herself and started attacking more methodically. She needed to grab her. Kim was no good at grappling.

Trini left an opening in her attack. Kim took the bait and threw a punch. Trini grabbed Kim's wrist, twisted, and brought her into an arm lock. Now Kim would have to calm down.

Kim didn't calm down. She flipped out of the hold and over Trini. How the hell did she keep doing that? It was like she couldn't be held down. She grabbed Trini's shoulder and flipped her over, slamming her into the ground.

Trini brought Kim down with her. A sleeper hold might work, if only she could get into position.

Zack pulled Trini away from Kim. He forced her up and a few steps back. "Come on, Trini," he whispered.

Kim wouldn't stop glaring at her. Her hair looked completely blown out.

Trini was still mad. Kim had no right. She didn't even want to fight anyway. She was only trying to make her stop. "I'm over this." Trini pushed Zack away walked out.

She stomped down into the ship and through the door to her room. She threw herself on the bed. She didn't like hiding from the world, but no one ever gave her any choice. They always pushed her out like she was some throw-away extra. Trini put on a pair of headphones and blasted her heavy metal to bury herself. After a few hours of sketching, the ship went quiet.

Trini scrolled through her phone's contact list. She didn't want to talk to Zack, Jason, or Billy. Billy wouldn't understand what they were fighting about, Jason was Kim's boyfriend, and Zack wouldn't answer his phone anyway. Zordon was too stuffy and Alpha didn't understand humans at all. The rest were all family, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. She finally settled on a name under the letter 'T'. The only person she might possibly be able to tolerate at that moment.

Trini was so sick of always being alone. For the second time in two days, Trini reached out the last person she thought she would ever want to talk to. She couldn't even remember why Tommy's number was in her contact list in the first place.

[Hey]

She stared at the screen for a few minutes, hoping Tommy would answer. At the same time Trini wished Tommy would ignore the text so she could go back to hating her life.

The dots indicating Tommy was typing came up. [Hey]

Now Trini didn't know what to do. She didn't have a plan. What do you say to someone who once wanted to kill you? Was bonding over gum behind the school enough to be able to text someone without it being weird? Had it really been bonding? If it wasn't bonding, what was it? She had felt something and they had barely even said anything to each other. Trini just didn't want to sit off in a corner.

All she knew was that she was hungry. [Do you want to get a burger?]

"Ugh!" How could she be so stupid? Tommy was going to think she was a freak. First, Tommy stabbed Trini in the leg. Then Trini took Tommy's power coin. Now they were going to get food like nothing happened? They had all the reason in the world to hate each other. What if she thought Trini was asking her out? Someone needed to invent a way to take back text messages.

Tommy's reply came within a few seconds. [ok]

* * *

Tommy sat across from Trini with her food. They had paid for themselves. Trini didn't want Tommy thinking it was a date or something.

Tommy picked up a fry and looked at it like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Trini looked down at the tray in front of her, an untouched bacon cheeseburger and an order of fries. Her lips

"Weird day at school, right?" Tommy asked. "Everyone was going crazy about the attack. It was kinda annoying."

Trini found herself completely unable to form a response. Ugh this shouldn't be that hard. She always had a problem making friends. She moved around often enough that it should have been an essential skill.

Tommy seemed to take a hint and went back to her food. The silence still wasn't exactly comfortable.

Trini knew there was one thing people liked. Talking about themselves. "Uh, anything new with you?" Trini asked.

"I quit MMA."

"Why?"

"I don't know." Tommy smashed her fries into her ketchup, staring at the red smeared on her tray.

"I just..." Tommy winced and glanced up at Trini. "...Don't want to take orders anymore."

"Yeah? What's that like." Trini smirked at her.

Tommy smiled. "My trainer used every trick in the book to get me into the gym." She took a drink of her soda. "Threats, guilt, everything. The guy is almost as bad as my dad."

"What'd you tell him?"

"Nothing, I just quit." Tommy looked out the window. "My dad's going to flip, if he ever..." She scratched her ear. "...But it feels good. I feel good. I finally get to do whatever I want."

Trini thought about her own training every afternoon at four. "That must be nice." It wasn't like it mattered anyway. She probably wouldn't have ended up doing anything if she didn't train.

Tommy looked at her fingernails. "I can do whatever I want. I can even grow out my nails again. It's not like I have..." She looked up. Tommy caught Trini staring at her. Their gaze locked together. Trini couldn't look away. Tommy's brown eyes had flecks of hazel in them. They looked wide... sad, maybe. Like they needed something.

Trini finally found the strength to turn her head. She felt her cheeks get hot. This whole thing was a bad idea. She decided to change the subject. "Maybe I should quit," Trini admitted.

"Quit being a superhero?"

"It isn't all its cracked up to be. They keep me out of the loop." Trini took a drink of her soda. "I never know what's even going on."

"That sucks."

"It started out great, superpowers are fun. It's just..."

Tommy cocked her head. Her hair did this thing that made Trini's heart jump. "It's just...?"

Trini shook herself out of her momentary trance. "Kim was trying to boss Zack and me around earlier-"

"Where was Jason?"

"Fighting Zedd."

"By himself?" Tommy laughed. "What happened?"

"We were trying to fight a blue monster. Zack and I are taking all the hits and Kim's up on a roof the entire time, shouting orders and shooting arrows every once in a while. She didn't even do anything. So finally, I got an idea, and Kim tells me not to do it because it isn't part of her plan. I did it anyway, and it worked. Didn't even matter, Kim is still pissed at me."

"What did you tell her?"

"Told her she was full of shit. She said I was out of control and called me lazy. So I punched her."

"Kim's kind of a bitch."

"A bitch..." It was obvious why Tommy didn't like her. Kim had threatened to kill her if she tried anything. Trini and Kim had judged Tommy more harshly than any of the others, and Kim even told Tommy to her face. But that feeling was gone, somehow, like being around Tommy had killed what Trini was supposed to feel. "Sometimes."

"You talk to your dad?" Tommy asked, trying to fill the uncomfortable silence.

"No."

Tommy huffed. "My dad's an asshole too. He's been out on duty for over a week. Must have come home some time, I found a fresh duty roster on the fridge. No time for his daughter though."

"Hey, guys. We're closing now," one of the employees said.

Trini and Tommy had finished their food anyway. They threw their trash away and walked outside.

They stood together in silence for a while, basking in the neon glow of the burger joint's sign. Trini leaned against the railing that separated the outside seating area from the parking lot and took a long sip of her drink. Tommy leaned against the railing too. They looked out over the last few cars.

"So, what are you going to do now that you quit MMA?"

"I don't know. I could do anything I want." She turned toward Trini. "Maybe I'll join the Peace Corps."

Trini laughed, Tommy smiled.

"I gotta say, if you guys have me on probation, you haven't been doing a very good job until now."

"Oh right!" Trini said. "It was my idea and I totally forgot we were doing it." She turned toward Tommy. "I should search you for weapons."

Tommy opened her jacket and raised her arms like she was ready to be frisked. A smirk grew across her face. Trini practically collapsed with laughter. We're they really flirting?

"Not going to search me?" Tommy's smirk only grew wider.

Trini shook her head.

"You tease!" Tommy moved a little closer.

Trini stepped closer. Tommy's smirk fell off her face. Trini's heart beat faster, it felt like it was in a race with itself.

"You're too cute to search..." Trini breathed. "I don't want your dad..." Tommy moved closer, leaning down toward Trini's level. "coming after me for violating his daughter..."

"He's a pansy." Tommy whispered. "There's this girl I like that could totally beat him up."

"A girl you like, huh?" Trini's fingertips found Tommy's waist. She had forgotten to zip her jacket back up. Trini found herself standing on her toes to get closer.

"Yeah..." Trini felt Tommy's breath on her neck.

They couldn't go further. Tommy was still a potential enemy. Zordon would never allow them to be together. They might have only this moment for the rest of their lives. For Trini, it wouldn't be enough.

Their lips found each other. Tommy's hand held the back of Trini's neck. Their bodies pressed together. Trini found her arms had fallen on Tommy's shoulders. Trini closed her eyes and lost herself in the feeling of kissing Tommy.

* * *

**Black Threshold**

Zack eyed the white pharmacy door from the greeting card section of the convenience store.

He had needed to escape, anything to not think about what had happened with his friends. He had lost track of time doing whatever he was doing before he remembered he needed to pick up his mom's prescription. The convenience store that it was located inside was open all night, but by the time he actually got to the pharmacy counter, the shutter was down and the lights were off. He must have just missed it.

There were pamphlets about antibiotics and a poster about getting a flu shot. Only one way in and the door was locked with a keypad.

Everyone but him had figured out how to teleport. Now was his chance. Zack would do anything for his mom. He couldn't possibly have any more reason than to get in to grab his mom's pills. She needed them. This was it.

Zack concentrated, focusing on the space on the other side of the shutter. Jump!

Zack only succeeded in jerking his head forward.

He looked around to make sure no one was looking and reached his hand out. He closed his eyes and concentrated his energy to become a ray of light. It started working, he could feel it. In fact, he was there already.

Zack stood there looking silly among the gift bags for a few seconds before dropping his hand in frustration.

There was at least one way in, he could easily rip the door off it's hinges. But then they'd figure out it was him when the only missing prescription was his mom's. So he couldn't leave any evidence. That meant he couldn't leave money either. Yeah, stealing was bad, but his mom needed her medication. They could just figure someone screwed up on the computer. No harm, no foul. That was the plan anyway.

Zack closed his eyes and thought about his mom. She had been so full of life once. She taught him multiplication, chess, and Tai Chi. As a kid he hated them all, yet she persisted. He never appreciated how attentive she was until that day they were at the grocery store and she collapsed in the produce section, right in front of the tomatoes.

Fuck! Zack's eyes flew open. He didn't want to think about it, couldn't think about it. The image had been grafted into his brain. One moment she was fine, pushing a full cart around and inspecting an onion. The next, her eyes rolled back and she hit the floor. He couldn't stop seeing it. It drove him crazy. He paced back and forth staring at that stupid handle on the door.

It turned and the door opened. A short man wearing a lab coat stepped through. He was looking at his phone, not paying attention to anything.

In one swift movement, Zack grabbed a greeting card with thick paper from off the rack. He tore off a strip, holding it between his fingers. With one wrist flick and a 'swoosh', it flew through the air right into the doorframe blocking the latch as the door closed.

The little guy on his phone didn't notice a thing. The door must have appeared shut in his peripheral vision. If he would have looked at the keypad, he would have noticed the indicator light hadn't changed back from green to red.

Once the guy was out of sight, Zack slipped in to the pharmacy. So many pills. People were so fragile, always getting hurt. Zack had no idea what fragile even felt like anymore. A freight train could slam into him and he wouldn't break any bones, the blood loss would be minor, and the bruises would heal within an hour.

As he searched through the "T" section, he considered how he may have been immortal. Rita survived 65 million years in the ocean somehow. It could have been a Power Ranger thing.

How would a ranger actually die? His chest injury from his fight with Tommy had already healed completely. A few of his ribs, a lot of his muscle, skin, and one of his lungs had been completely replaced, but that was easy. Jason just injected him with some space-juice and he was fine, No pain, no scars, even the itch went away. He felt great.

Then again, Rita killed Billy with a touch. He was dead for hours. The only reason they were able to bring him back was because of some voodoo Zordon did.

Zack found the bag with his mother's name on it. Two pill bottles were inside. They were full and the labels said they were the right stuff. He slipped right out the door. The card fell into his hand.

So Rita's death-touch thing, was that also a power ranger thing? Could any of them learn to do that? Zordon said Rita was a witch, so maybe it was magic or something.

Zack picked out an encouragement card so it didn't look like he was stealing. It was one of those ones with a cat dangling from a tree branch that said "hang in there." He could write something hilarious in the card and give it to Billy. It might even cheer the guy up. His story, in case the cashier asked, was that the pharmacist was nice enough to stay late to fill the prescription

The cashier didn't ask and Zack walked home with his mind on his friends. Billy wasn't doing so good. The guy holed up in his room and wouldn't leave.

With Billy out for a while, they were going to be short-handed. All the more reason to give Tommy her coin back. Zack liked Tommy, she knew how to get shit done and didn't care what anyone thought. Plus she could throw a mean punch.

Why was Kim so mad at them anyway? And why did Trini react like that? Kim wasn't yelling at her. Zack knew how to let her words roll right off him.

Some leader Jason made. What kind of leader goes off on his own?

When Zack got home, he went right to the fridge to grab some left-overs. He laid out two plates.

He opened the prescription bag and took a look at the two bottles. They each had enough for about a month.

Zack had to remind himself that it was all temporary. They'd kick Zedd's ass, beat up Rita again if they had to, and everything would go back to normal. Or whatever "normal" was supposed to be.

Zack poured a glass of water and arranged his mom's pills for her, two green and one white. She had been doing better in the last week. She was on her feet again, she had just enough energy to water her plants, but still.

Zack's mom's light was off, an inky rim outlined the door frame. She must have been asleep.

Zack knocked before opening the door. "Mom?"

* * *

My mom used to tell me stories when I was a kid. She told me about these five friends that went on a journey together. She said it was all from this book, but I never read it.

Mom said the five friends started out as strangers and at first they didn't really like each other. They were Monk, Pigsy, Sandy, Horse, and Monkey. And they were supposed to go to India to bring scrolls of enlightenment back to China and had a bunch of adventures on their way.

Monkey was always my favorite character. He was totally invincible and did whatever he felt like doing. Mom told me about this one time, Monkey was causing trouble and making a big mess of a peach festival. He was so strong he could take on entire armies at once, no one could stop him from ruining everything. So, the Jade Emperor asks the Buddha himself to handle Monkey. Buddha asks Monkey what he wants, and Monkey says he wants to overthrow the Jade Emperor.

Buddha makes him a deal and tells him he will let Monkey do whatever he wants if he can leap out of the Buddha's hand.

So, Monkey stands on Buddha's hand and leaps up as hard as he can. He jumps so high he passes the heavens, over the stars, and flies to the five pillars that hold the universe. So he takes out a pen and scribbles his name on one of them, just to prove he's been there.

He falls back down to where Buddha is standing and lands back in his hand. Monkey brags about how he leapt so high, he saw the five pillars that held the universe.

Buddha says, "You mean my fingers?" Buddha holds out his hand and right there is Monkey's name scribbled in tiny writing on one of Buddha's fingers.

Buddha says Monkey could never jump out of the palm of his hand because that very hand holds the entire universe.

That's what my mom was like. She held the entire universe in her hand while a monkey caused trouble all over the place. She never actually put a mountain on top of me, but some of her punishments felt like that. I think... I know she just wanted what was best for me...

Some parents see their kids as screw-ups. Sometimes they try to tell their kids how they will live their lives, try to define who they are, and not accept them when it turns out they're different.

My mom let me be who I was, no matter how much I screwed up. She always loved me.

* * *

Zack didn't sleep. He only stared at the ceiling of his trailer. It was bland plastic, same as the walls. A box that contained his entire life. A vacuum-sealed refrigerator that kept him from going bad. Nothing was keeping him there anymore, so why did he stay?

He took the black coin out of his jacket pocket. It held so much power Zack didn't want. There were so many things it could do, but none of them mattered to him.

He had to go do something.

Zack carried his mother out of the house, closed his eyes, and stepped out of the universe.


	13. Green Withdrawal | Silver Priority

**Chapter 12**

**Green Withdrawal**

Tommy rattled her fingers on her own skull. She thought that at some point over the course of the day she would forget, and Trini would just get back to her whenever. The problem was she couldn't forget. When she wasn't on her phone directly, she checked it at least once every five minutes.

The morning after their date, she had sent Trini a text. The conversation was stalled at [Hey]. It was days later and Trini still hadn't responded.

The day after, Trini wasn't at school. The next she was there for third period, like nothing had happened. The next day it got worse, Tommy wanted to be cool and give Trini the space she needed, but she kept looking over her shoulder, back at Trini. Three days later, she was practically staring at her. The teacher even called her out and told her to pay attention.

Trini didn't react. She kept a neutral look on her face. She had to have noticed. How could she just act like nothing happened?

At the end of the period, Trini bolted like she always did. This time Tommy followed, but Trini turned a blind corner and disappeared. She wasn't just going to let her walk away without at least an explanation. Tommy looked all over the school for her during lunch and ditched sixth period to get behind the heating units in case she might have gone to their spot again.

Why was Trini ghosting her? They could take back whatever stupid kiss they had and go back to what they were before. Civilians were so dramatic.

Everyone was talking about the rangers, about how the yellow, black, and pink ones almost didn't take down one of Rita's monsters. About how the red ranger couldn't beat Zedd. They desperately needed Tommy. She could have taken Rita's monster down by herself. It was bullshit that she'd never get her coin back.

Why couldn't they just get over it? Why couldn't they just let her in? Why couldn't they see what an asset Tommy would be? She was already the best fighter. She was strong, fast, smart, she might even be the best of all of them. No, definitely the best of all of them. The writing was all over the walls of the pit. She could beat them to a pulp as long as they didn't have their coins, anyway. Her fighting experience dwarfed theirs. She seethed the entire way home.

The house was empty when she got home. There was a portrait in a old wooden frame on a small table in the living room. Tommy's mom had turned it into a shrine with flowers and letters she had written. Her dad would have said it was inappropriate, but he was never around anymore.

Tommy looked into her brother's eyes, hard as steel, banner of red, white, and blue behind him. People were so fragile. Sometimes you lose a fight and you don't get back up. Or you fall and break your neck. Or one day you just get blowed up.

Tommy lit a cigarette in the back yard. Her misery lifted for a while and drifted away with the smoke. It was like she could finally breathe.

Her body felt drained and got weaker every day. It ached, she had to drag it around with her. She was still the same size and weight she was before, but now even 20 pound weights were giving her trouble. She could barely complete a set of bicep curls before her muscles gave out. And they refused to do another set at the same weight.

Tommy missed the tired exhilaration of a good workout, that tired that made her feel like she could do anything. She wondered if she'd ever feel that way again.

"Tommy!"

"What?" She turned her head to catch her dad standing in the doorway in his fatigues.

He marched up to her. "I got a call from your trainer. You haven't been going." This was going to be a thing.

"That was a week ago, pop." Tommy rolled her eyes. He hated that. "Couldn't have been very urgent if you're only getting to it now." She walked past him.

He grabbed her arm and smiled with satisfaction. "Your fighting career is the only reason I haven't shipped you out yet." His grip belied sinister intentions. "If you don't have one, there's no reason you're here."

She shook him off, already sick of his shit. She was sick of everything. Tommy wanted everyone everywhere to die. "I could kick your ass, old man."

He sniffed the air for a few seconds. He must have caught the cigarette smell on her.

Tommy reacted before she saw the hand coming. Her dad went straight for the throat. She sidestepped around him and gave a sharp jab to his lat while his arm was up. The hit felt good, it felt right. Her body may have been feeble, but it remembered the movements.

Tommy's dad winced invisibly. His eyes were practically gleeful. "I'm calling Colonel McKimber. You're serving the rest of high school under him. Then the real fun begins."

Asshole thought he could determine her entire life for her. She wasn't joining the army, she had had more than enough of it. Tommy Oliver didn't take orders anymore. Coin or no coin, Tommy was a Power Ranger.

Tommy cracked her knuckles with a lackadaisical gaze. "And I look forward to breaking his jaw."

"You're a fucking moron." Her dad smiled so wide, he was practically laughing. For anyone else that might as well have meant laughing hysterically. "They're gonna chew you up and spit you out."

A power ranger couldn't be chewed up. They were invincible. Tommy took his challenge and locked eyes with him. She didn't drop the lazy stare and sighed. "Go ahead. Tell me specifically what he's going to do after I rip his car in half."

That sick fucking smile fell off of Tommy's dad's face. He squinted at her.

Tommy decided to solve the mystery for him. "He gonna shoot at me? I'm pretty sure my armor is bulletproof."

Tommy's dad was a stone statue.

"Try and put hands on me again..." Tommy looked at her fingernails trying to look absentminded. They were chewn up. She didn't realize she had been biting them to the nub. "And I'll crush your head in my hand."

He narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head. "You ain't one of them." A quick strike hit Tommy's shoulder. He called her bluff. "You are nothing."

Tommy put her fists up and got into her stance. A stab shot through her bones, they creaked at being strained against their will. Tommy's body was betraying her. She punched with everything she had, her knuckles panging with the hit.

Tommy's dad brushed it off and came at her again. She tried to dodge, but he wrapped his arm around her.

She tried to redirect his weight, only to be lifted in the air and slammed on the floor.

"They're gonna teach you all about that."

Tommy wanted to crush him. She imagined throwing him through the wall. His body breaking under her boot. The satisfying thump of her proving to him that she was more powerful than the entire force he worshiped like a god.

But she didn't have her coin. And he was bigger, heavier, and stronger. Her hits may as well have been taps.

Tommy's dad grabbed her by the back of the neck and drug her to her room. "Say 'goodbye' to your friends." He threw her in and slammed the door. "You're shipping out tomorrow!"

Tommy couldn't move, all of her joints felt frozen. She shook from the pain.

* * *

**Silver Priority**

Zhane got up early to get a spot at the front of the food line. He waited for five hours before it opened. Karone hadn't had a good meal in a few days. She had been busy maintaining the water systems in the city. She had experience with irrigation systems on her family's farm and had been working pretty much all the time she wasn't sleeping. She finally agreed to take her first day off in months and Zhane wanted her to get as much sleep as possible.

Zhane spent most of his days clearing out the remaining drones on the planet. The tiny squads from all over KO-35 had begun to gather at a few automated factories outside of town. The first time they had attacked, they went for the food supply. A legion of drones managed to burn seven farms before Zhane could stop them. Rationing got tighter. He needed to make sure they couldn't do that again.

He had been so focused on his job, he practically forgot about eating. He had collected whatever scraps of food the line had at the end of the day and gave most of them to Karone. It had been so long since he had eaten, hunger had faded into the background. Or maybe that's just what he told himself.

The crates of food arrived in carts. It was unloaded and the vendors began distributing the food, it looked like bread and roots again, but there were some beans too. That was a good sign. The line started moving quickly.

After the food carts left there was a loud 'clang' 'clang' clang'. "I need everyone's attention!" A guy at the front of the line was hitting something with a pipe. There were four other men, all waving weapons around. It was clearly a gang. "This line is closed today. Load everything back into the crates and get it out of here," The leader ordered.

The gangsters pushed the vendors around. The vendors put their hands up and the people started grumbling and walking away. More people unwilling to do anything to stop injustice, they were used to going hungry. But Karone needed to eat. The Silver Ranger was going to have to do something.

As Zhane was looking for the best place to morph, someone spoke up. "Hey, you're not taking this food," A young man walking up behind Zhane yelled. He marched out into the open so everyone could see him. The crowd stopped what they were doing and watched him. There was a metal disc on his belt, a piece of scrap metal he had found and scraped until it was shiny. It looked a lot like the Silver Ranger's coin.

"Leave," he demanded.

"What did you say to me?" the gangster leader asked.

The crowd was totally captivated by the exchange. The guy's vision narrowed and his breath hitched, yet he wasn't backing down. "You heard me."

No one joined him. The entire crowd could easily overpower four men, but no one wanted to get caught up in violence. This was the problem, people were complacent under the Machine Empire's rule and they had become complacent under the gangs' threats.

Zhane crept out of the crowd and ducked into an alley. His silver armor came out slowly. He was so tired and his hunger sent pangs into his stomach. He forced more energy from the grid into his armor to quicken the process.

"I don't think I did!" The gangster leader grabbed the man. "See, this food is ours." He punched the guy in the stomach. The guy doubled over. "Who do you think you are? Ain't no Silver Ranger gonna come and save you!" He kicked the guy on the ground.

Zhane's rage spiked. "Oh really," he boomed. Everyone in the square turned toward the Silver Ranger striding toward the gangster. He let go of the man and started backing away. After a few steps he backed into a wall. Zhane kept on him, walking right up to him. His friends ran off.

"Hey, this is all just uh... a misunderstanding," the gangster explained.

"No it wasn't." Zhane punched the gangster in the face. A solid 'pop' meant he had broken bone. He slumped to the ground.

Andros' disapproving gaze hung over Zhane. He had acted without considering the rules. That was probably enough escalation for one day. He left the gangster there to check on the other guy.

He was on his knees, holding his stomach. Zhane offered him a hand. "Are you alright?"

The guy took his hand and grunted something that sounded like "Yes".

Zhane signaled for the vendors to continue food distribution while the guy gathered himself. "Why did you do that?"

"I was trying to help."

"You did good. You stood your ground." Zhane put his hand on the man's shoulder. "I wish there were more people like you."

Faith grew over the man's eyes. "Thanks."

"Maybe get a few other guys in advance next time, and some clubs or something."

The guy nodded.

When Zhane got back to his shack, Karone was already dressed. She immediately saw the food he had brought. "You're the best!" She kissed him on the cheek and began preparing a simple stew. She poured it into two bowls.

It wasn't much. Zhane grumbled to himself. He didn't need as much food as Karone. He could always pull power from the Morphing Grid to supplement the food he needed. When Karone's back was turned, he spooned half of his bowl into hers.

"How about a story while we eat?"

"I don't think I have any stories," Zhane said. His life was pretty boring. He could tell her about each individual punch and kick, but he figured he would stick to broad strokes. "I stopped some people from stealing the food today." He resigned himself to patrolling the lines himself from then on.

"That's great, I'm so proud of you." Karone looked into her bowl with her mouth crinkled. She hated hearing about what Zhane did. She was always afraid he wouldn't come home one day. They sat and ate for a few moments before she spoke up again. "When I lived on the farm, our family would tell stories while we ate."

"That sounds nice. Do you know any good ones?"

"I know a sad one..." Karone looked up from her bowl. "But it has a happy ending."

"Let's hear it."

"A long time ago, the Power Rangers protected Eltar."

"What's Eltar?"

"That's the name of the planet. We didn't call it KO-35 you goof, that's what the Machine Empire called it."

"Eltar, huh." Zhane rolled it over in his mouth. It felt strange, as if someone told him his own name was something else. "Eltar."

"So, the Power Rangers were led by Zordon, the Red Ranger. He and the other rangers kept the land fertile and brought a great harvest. One day, the Power Rangers were called to protect a far away world across the galaxy." She brought her spoon to her mouth and chewed on a root. "As he was boarding his space ship, Zordon promised he and the other rangers would return home very soon." She pushed her spoon around her stew. It seemed like she was done, but that couldn't be the end.

"Then what happened?"

She looked at him. "Well, you know." Karone said it as if he should know what she was going to say. "...it's supposed to be a true story."

"They didn't come back."

Karone stared into her soup. "The Machine Empire attacked, and without the Power Rangers..."

"We didn't stand a chance..." Zhane shook his head. "That is a sad story." He had never heard of the Power Rangers before he met Trey. It was so weird to think that KO-35 had its own entire team. "How do you know all this?"

Karone gave him a small smile. "It's a story the farming families tell their children. My mother always told me that Zordon would come back one day. He would make the land fertile and bring back the great harvest. My father never believed it. He said it was just a hollow wish."

"I thought it had a happy ending."

"...it does." Karone took Zhane's hands. "Zordon never came back, but recently his spirit returned, not in red, but silver."

"Copper. Andros gave his life for the planet. I'm just trying to live up to him."

A tear began welling up in Karone's eye. "Zordon's spirit must have been split in two then." She squeezed his fingers. "The things you are doing are so amazing." She brought him into a tight hug. "I am so proud of you."

* * *

Zhane got up early to get to the food line the next day. He thought they might be able to get her food early if he explained the crucial work she did. He stumbled through a ruined building where several people had gathered. One man was standing on a pile of rubble, addressing the others.

"We want to get three guardians at every food line. We aren't going to let the gangs crush us anymore! The Silver Ranger is with us!"

While the guy spoke, the man closest to Zhane got his attention. "Are you here to join?" It was the line protector from the day before.

"Join?"

"We're here to protect the people while the Silver Ranger's protecting us from the machines." The guy smiled. "We're gonna start by guarding the food lines. But when we get enough people, were taking the fight right to the gangs."

People were actually starting to fight back. They were getting organized, bashing a few heads. It was a good sign. Still, he needed to protect Karone, not to mention his own identity. "I don't think I should get involved."

"Okay. Let us know if you change your mind."

Zhane nodded and walked away. He needed to figure out what was going on with these guys, just not as himself. Then again, people wanted his intervention, Karone said what he did was great. He was helping, and he wanted to help any way he could. He turned back the way he came, quickly found an empty alcove and morphed.

"Hey!"

Zhane turned around to find the guy from the day before had followed him. He was too far behind to actually see Zhane morph, but it was pretty obvious what happened.

"You... you're him." The guy scanned his armor shocked. "I never got to really thank you for yesterday." He put his hands in his pockets and retrieved two packets of cloth. "Take these. I know you have a family to feed and it can't be easy with everything you're doing." He stuffed the packets into Zhane's bag.

Zhane had no idea how he should react. This man had the same generous spirit Andros had. It was a good thing his helmet hid his facial expressions.

"The gangs got organized. Now we are too." The guy's smile was huge. "You come back and we'll tell you all about it." He started walking back to the group. "I'm Wes, by the way."

Zhane didn't say anything more as he followed Wes. He had exposed his identity enough as it was.

All eyes were on them as they returned to the meeting. "Guys, it wasn't a spy. He's the Silver Ranger," Wes said. "And he's not an alien. He's one of us."

The leader approached him and offered a greeting. "Silver Ranger, I'm Eric. I heard what you did yesterday." His voice had filled with confidence. He gestured to the rest of the group. Many of them were cheering. "We're ready to do whatever you need us to do."

* * *

Zedd observed the battle, pleased with Delphine's command style. She had engaged a group of 200 Machine Empire drones with her team of five. They were vastly outnumbered, and very close to victory. Of all the rangers he had under his command, she was the best.

She drew the drones in close, forcing them to clump together and giving ground while destroying a few. Aurico and Corcus pushed into the sides while Tideus and Cestro came from behind. Soon, they had wrapped the drones into a tight circle and wiped them out.

The Machine Empire had already taken the planet's Zeo Crystal. Nothing would survive on the desolate rock for long. But Delphine understood what Zedd was trying to do.

Rita was looking at a device in her hand. Every once in a while she would down a drone or two when they got close to her. Then she went right back to her device.

Even without a connection to the grid, Rita's power rivaled the greatest rangers in history. But she lacked discipline, much like Earth rangers.

Zedd had broken them. It was so easy. Each had something he could exploit. Isolate Yellow from her family and make her teammates neglect her, she will turn on the others. Reveal Pink's true character and the others will turn on her. Force Blue to make an impossible choice, and watch him wither to nothing. Take the person Black cares for most and the loss will drive him to destroy himself.

Yet, the Red Ranger remained.

Zedd had recognized that Jason was different during his first lesson. To save his team, he needed to teleport, so he taught himself to teleport out of sheer force of will. All it took was Zedd giving him the proper circumstance.

During their second session, Zedd had demonstrated their team's powerlessness, so Jason took it upon himself to became stronger to defend them. He did not require Zedd to enhance his coin, he did it on his own. That was true power. Jason was already coming to understand, just as Zedd had.

Finally, when Zedd had him utterly defenseless, ready to break him completely, Jason had found a way to save that little girl. The fire in his heart only burned brighter the more Zedd tried to stamp it out. The Red Ranger was willing to do whatever was necessary to win. He was perfect.

Tommy had shown such promise. She was hungry for power and capable of wielding it to maximum effectiveness. And yet, a single failure had destroyed her. Her fight wasn't over. The green coin was still out there. Tommy would either complete her mission or let herself atrophy into nothing.

As Delphine and her team finished their work, a colossal drone stomped between the buildings of a devastated city. The Machine Empire had prioritized the construction of battle borgs, mobile command centers that led the their ground assaults. Its weapons charged and brought them to bear on Delphine and her team.

As powerful as they were, they couldn't possibly defeat it without a zord, though they would try.

"Rita, destroy it," Zedd commanded.

Rita huffed. "This world is dead," she said, not looking up from her device. "Move on."

"You will do as I command!"

"Watch your tone, Zedd." Rita glared at him. "You still owe me."

Zedd glared back. He owed her nothing. "Delphine, return to Aquatar and await my orders."

"Yes, Lord Zedd." Delphine bowed slightly. "Rangers, teleport now." She and her team teleported back to their ship. That was how Zedd expected his soldiers to follow his orders, immediately and without question. He would not allow Rita's insubordination.

Zedd called his zord, Serpentera, with a thought. It came screaming down to the surface of the planet. The impact covered the area in a dust storm. It was twice the size of the battle borg.

The borg opened fire, unleashing a storm of plasma at Serpentera.

Serpentera clutched the borg in a claw. The shield collapsed and the dragon tore its prey in half.

Another borg appeared, taking cover in the city and opened fire. Three more fell from the sky and readied their weapons. An ambush.

Serpentera projected its own shield to block the incoming fire while it whipped its tail, knocking over one of the borgs. It raised up into the sky and crashed down on another.

The borg taking cover in the city peppered it with long streams of light. Serpentera unleashed a column of super-heated plasma from its mouth. It blasted the city apart, burst through the borg's shield and melted its armor.

The final borg collected all of its power into its main gun and fired one last shot. The blue ball of energy exploded on Serpentera's shoulder, sending a shock-wave through the ground.

Serpentera roared and sliced through the borg effortlessly.

Rita smiled. "Now why couldn't you just do that from the beginning?"

She didn't understand. It was about sharpening a new ranger's skills. Giving them obstacles and goals, ones difficult, but not impossible, to overcome. Those worthy will rise to new heights of power. That was who Zedd needed. Not a self-absorbed brat.

Zedd teleported them to Rita's residence on Earth.

"I'll be out for a while, don't wait up," Rita said, walking toward the shower. "And you can count me out of any of these stupid field trips."

Rita could never understand. She had become a ranger eons before the Machine Empire began to subjugate the galaxy.

"You're right. I don't need you." Zedd turned away from her.

Rita eyed him indignantly. "What did you say."

"You will live out the rest of your days and die here on this planet."

Rita grimaced, not satisfied with her fate. She gripped her staff and swung it at him.

Zedd caught it and shattered the head. Rita was powerful, but Zedd was infinite.

Rita screamed and clutched at the stub that was left, reconstituting her weapon from the broken pieces on the floor. "I'm going to kill you. I'm going to kill everyone!" Blades grew out of her staff in liquid waves.

She only confirmed that Zedd had made the right decision.

"I'll take this pathetic planet's Zeo Crystal!" she snarled. Golden armor flowed over her body. "You think I can't!?" She charged her staff with energy and swung it at him uselessly in her anger.

Zedd couldn't use her, he waved her off in disgust.

Jason would surpass her power. His next lesson was the most important. He needed to see the true enemy.


	14. Pink Denial | Green Envy

**Chapter 13**

**Pink Denial**

Kim gleefully followed Hannah to their spot behind the monkey bars where Riley and Aisha were waiting for them. She still couldn't believe Hannah and Riley, the two most-popular girls in their whole fourth grade class, wanted to hang out with her!

Riley had a scowl on her face and her arms crossed. Her foot hit the sand like she was tapping it. Aisha looked at Kim sheepishly.

Hannah gasped when she saw Riley. "What's wrong Riley?"

"I'll tell you what's wrong. Someone told Mason I like him."

Hannah gasped again. Aisha looked wide eyed. Kim covered her mouth and tried to look shocked.

"The only people I told were you two." She pointed at Kim and Aisha.

The two girls looked at each other. They both knew Kim did it.

"Who was it?" Riley asked.

They looked at each other again. Kim begged Aisha not to say anything with her eyes, hoping Riley wouldn't notice.

"I know who it was." Hannah smiled. "Ryan told him, and he heard it from Quinn who heard it from Piper S. And I saw Kim talking to Piper S. before school."

"It was Kim!?" Riley stomped.

Kim was shaking. She didn't know. She couldn't have known. Riley never said it was a secret. Kim's life was over, her best friends were about to hate her. They were already yelling at her. They already knew.

"It wasn't Kim," Aisha said. "It was me."

"What!?" Riley formed a fist. "It was you!?"

"Yes, it was. And I'm really sorry. I hope you can find it in your heart to-"

"Oh you're 'sorry'! Like that makes it better!?"

"Riley-" Aisha took a step toward her.

"No. What you did is unforgivable. No one will ever be friends with you ever again."

"Kim..." Aisha begged.

"Don't even try it. Kim's not a traitor like you," Hannah said. "Why don't you go away. No one likes you anymore."

Riley and Hannah turned around. "And you can forget about coming to my birthday party." Riley said. "Come on, Kim. Let's get away from her."

Aisha's lip was trembling, her eyes were pleading.

"I..." Kim started. She couldn't say anything more. She and Aisha had been friends since kindergarten. But being friends with Hannah and Riley was everything Kim ever wanted. She couldn't just throw that away. Everyone would think of her and Aisha the same way. She would be labeled as a traitor and never get the chance to be one of the popular girls ever again.

Kim closed her eyes and ran to catch up with Riley and Hannah.

* * *

Kim couldn't believe the number on bathroom scale. She stepped all the way off of it to try again, it had to be a mistake. The idea that she had gained a few pounds of muscle while training was reasonable, but there was absolutely no way she had gained that much weight.

She set a toe on the scale, slowly resting more and more weight on it. She watched the dial spin. 50... There was no way she was that heavy. 100... Her arms had gotten a little bigger sure, and her legs... 150... Most of her weight was still on her other foot. And she had gone up one dress size. She could admit that. But it was only one size. 200... It had to be broken. 250... The damn dial spun all the way around and went back to zero. 300... It had to be a trick. Zack had to have done it as a joke. 350... He could have had Billy wire it up somehow. That was the only logical explanation. 400... The scale finally rested at 146. The dial had gone all the way around at 300, meaning, according to the scale, she weighed 446 pounds.

The scale had to be lying. There was no way.

She stood there, staring at the red line pointing to that tick. 146. 146 pounds, even that felt a little high. Not this 446 bullshit. Kim was the fastest runner and the highest jumper, she could practically fly. There was no way she weighed one ounce over 135.

She stepped off the scale again and the dial mocked her by spinning all the way around and then half way around again. Ignoring it, she got dressed in a pair of jeans, a cute sweater, and a pair of boots. She applied her makeup the usual way, with special attention to her eyeshadow and some subtle lipstick. After grabbing her jacket and bag, she was out the door.

Kim looked toward Trini in third period Biology, slouching in her chair in the back of the classroom. An impassive gaze as always, she gave Kim a slight stare. During class, they would toss notes back and forth, flinging them faster than anyone in the classroom could see. Kim had savored the 'woosh' of paper cutting through the air and into her hand.

But the air had become silent. No notes swooshed through it. Kim didn't even know if she should try to pass one. Trini wouldn't even catch it anyway.

In fourth period Trig, Jason held his head up by his forehead and twirled his pencil in his fingers. His foot wouldn't stop convulsing. He gripped the top of his desk so hard, it might spontaneously combust.

After class, they met outside. "I'm going to finish it." Jason looked off into the mountains.

Kim took a breath. They were in no shape to take on Zedd, but she was willing to go with whatever plan if it meant this would all be over. "Zack's not around, but we can grab Trini. And I can try to get Billy-"

"No." His brow steeled itself with determination. "I'm doing it alone."

"You need help." Kim said to his back before he got very far. "Aren't we supposed to work together?"

Jason turned his head over his shoulder. "I don't think it works like that." He walked around another building and disappeared.

Kim took a breath. Of course it worked like that. Her idiot boyfriend was going to get himself killed. An emptiness filled her chest. She wanted to go with him, but she was too emotionally drained to do anything about it.

Kim went through the lunch line and grabbed a salad and a lemonade.

Trini sat at the group's usual spot, though no one else was there. She was leaned back and wouldn't take her eyes off of her phone.

Kim sat a few seats down on the other side of the table. She drizzled dressing over her salad and mixed it with a spork. The lettuce was soggy, typical high-school cafeteria food.

There was so much space between her and Trini and they still weren't talking. Not that Trini was one to start a conversation, but in the last month, they had gotten very close. How could Kim even reach out if she wanted to. There had to be something Trini would respond to.

"Jason is going to do something really stupid," Kim said. "We should probably stop him..."

Trini looked up at her, finally giving her something. Despite the chaos of the cafeteria, she was completely still. Her chest didn't even look like it was breathing.

"First Ty, now Jason huh." Amanda said, ripping Kim out of her headspace. She and Harper took seats across the table from Kim. "Are you going to sleep with the entire football team?"

What the fuck? How could she even say that?

"Jason isn't on the team anymore though, is he?" Harper tilted her head in fake concern.

The hole in Kim's chest got wider.

"I guess it's true then," Amanda mused. "Losers attract losers." They laughed together.

Kim blinked, then looked over to Trini. Trini drank her soda, pretending not to notice.

"She still thinks she's important," Harper said. They both laughed again.

"News flash, Kim. You are not the center of everyone's universe." Amanda and Harper got up from the table. Amanda's arm swung in and flipped Kim's tray into her lap. Dressing-covered lettuce splattered all over her sweater and jeans.

"Oops, sorry." Amanda and Harper strode away leaning on each other and laughing.

Kim gasped for air, feeling like she wasn't getting anything. Everyone in the lunch room stared at Kim, all witness to her humiliation. Not one of them moved, not helping, only judging. Kim caught an apathetic look from Trini as she slung her backpack over her shoulder and walked right out of the cafeteria.

Everyone in school hated her. Her boyfriend was off... somewhere. Even her own best friend had abandoned her. Her body shook.

Kim grabbed her own bag and ran to the bathroom, leaving her unfinished lemonade behind. She pulled every paper towel out of the dispenser, trying to sop the dressing out of her clothes, but it had seeped in. The smell became putrid. But she pressed on.

She spent the rest of the lunch period scraping at her clothes with her nails and soaking them with wet paper towels. Other girls came in, but once they saw her, they immediately turned and left.

By the time the bell rung for fifth period, Kim was wet and no less disgusting. She went home instead of going to class. She just wanted the day to end.

Kim washed her clothes and took a shower. She decided to hike through the hills outside her house to get some air.

A series of explosions and the sound of grinding metal rang out, so Kim hiked in the opposite direction, crossing her arms over herself to keep warm. Eventually, the noise stopped and she could continue in peace.

She got back home by dinner time and sat at the table as her mother insisted.

Kim's mother placed a plate of chicken tikka masala in front of her. Kim stared down at it without touching the food. She could still smell the stink of the salad dressing smeared all over herself.

"What did you do at school today?" Her mother asked when her father had taken his seat. "Anything interesting?"

"No."

"There must have been something." Kim's mom clasped her hands and pursed her lips. "Why won't you talk to me, Kimberly? Something is clearly bothering you."

Kim sighed. Why couldn't they leave her alone? She needed to talk about something else. "I heard there was another attack today-"

"Why would you bring that up?" Kim's mom looked at her husband, then back to Kim. "This is the dinner table. What is wrong with you?"

They sat in silence. Kim's mom radiated asperity. Yes, how dare she bring up anything unpleasant at the dinner table? Kim chanced a small bite of chicken masala to try to placate her.

Her father, probably in an effort to ease the tone, changed the subject. "Didn't you have some new friends you wanted us to meet?"

"No."

"I'm sure you mentioned them before." Her mother said. "What was that girl's name? Tini?"

"You're mistaken." Kim looked her mom and dad in the eye. "I don't have any friends."

* * *

**Green Envy**

"Move out rangers!" Tommy ordered. Conner, Ethan, and Kira all advanced on Trent's position.

Trent had hunkered down, covered on two sides by high snowbanks, a third side was covered by an equipment shed, leaving only one in or out of his fortress. They had him cornered.

"You'll never take me alive!" Trent shouted.

"I got him!" Conner ran around Trent's base and was pelted with a snowball before he could throw the one in his hand.

"You're dead, Conner," Tommy said.

"Aww," Conner murmured as he walked off the battlefield.

"Cover me, Ethan," Kira said.

Ethan followed her carrying way too many snowballs. They melded together in a big pile.

Trent dodged Kira's two throws and followed up with two of his own. He hit both Kira and Ethan.

Kira stomped her foot. Ethan dropped his pile of snow where he was standing.

"Now it's time for the ultimate ranger!" Tommy said. She ran her fingers through the snow and formed two snowballs. Trent was busy reloading. She launched both at him and he dodged.

Trent threw one that almost hit Tommy's side. She avoided it just in time.

Trent was already grabbing more snowballs and Tommy was out of ammo. She needed a plan.

Trent pulled his arm back to lob his next snowball when Tommy picked up Ethan's pile of snow and hurled it at him.

Trent's shot broke on Ethan's pile and it slammed into him, knocking him over and covering him in snow.

Everyone ran up to him. "Are you okay, Trent?" Kira asked.

"No, I'm dead." Trent said through his laughter.

Tommy helped him up. "Good game."

"Next time I get to be a ranger," Trent said.

"Yeah. We should challenge those guys by the sandbox."

"Yeah!" They cheered together.

Tommy never had any friends before she met Kira, Ethan, and Conner. They were all seven, a year younger than Tommy. But she didn't mind. In fact, she liked being the biggest. They all liked to play Army Rangers, so they were pretty cool.

Trent was new, his family had just moved to the base. Tommy's ranger group had to make sure he was cool too. Now that he had been initiated, he was one of them.

They spent the whole afternoon playing in the snow and walked home together, talking about how they'd do it all again the next day.

Tommy turned toward her friends. She lived in a different section of the base's housing than the others. "Bye guys," Tommy said, starting toward her street.

"Bye, Tommy!" They called after her. "See you tomorrow!"

Tommy walked down a row of houses to where her family lived. She found a bunch of people putting her stuff into a moving van.

Tommy held her breath. They couldn't move again. It hadn't even been a year. They just couldn't move. Not when she was making friends.

"Task, complete," Tommy's dad said. "There you are, soldier. You have been AWOL. Get in the vehicle." Her mom was already in the car, ready to go.

Tommy looked at the ground. "I don't want to move."

Tommy's dad marched right up to her, his hands balled into fists resting on his hips. "That doesn't matter. We need to report to Dugway in two days."

"Tommy, you will make new friends in Utah," Tommy's mom said from her seat in the car.

"I don't want to make new friends!"

"We're on a schedule, soldier. Get in the vehicle."

"But, I didn't get to-"

"That's an order, soldier!"

"But-"

"Now!"

Tommy opened the car door and got in. Her father took his seat behind the wheel.

The car pulled away with the moving van trailing behind them. She was never going to see her friends again. She crossed her arms and turned away from him.

"Stop crying," her father ordered, staring at her in the rear-view mirror.

"I'm not crying!" Tommy balled her own hands into fists. She wasn't.

* * *

Tommy gripped the carpet, her fingers scratched one of her free weights. She hadn't moved from the spot where her asshole of a dad had left her. She actually managed to get some rack time on the floor at some point during the night, but it didn't come easy.

She pulled herself up and sat at the foot of her bed, waiting for the asshole to drag her out and off somewhere else.

He was downstairs, stomping around, laughing about something on the phone, very pleased with himself.

A lump formed in Tommy's throat. She wasn't nothing. She could prove it. She was better than all of them. The best. She deserved the power the rangers had. She could kill Zedd. That would prove it to all of them. Fingernails dug into her palms. She needed to kill Zedd.

"You want to kill Zedd." The voice jarred her out of her thoughts. Rita Repulsa sneered, crawling down the wall and onto Tommy's bed.

Tommy craned her head, gritting her teeth. The snake was within striking distance and Tommy didn't care. "Yeah."

"My Dragonzord is in the ocean, just off the coast." Rita's eyes boiled. "You could kill him with it. Do you want it?"

Tommy's heart raced. A zord? A dragon? It wasn't the green coin, it was even better. Too good.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. I want you to kill him with it." Rita's eyes went wide. "He threw me out, just like he did you. I want you to kill both of them, him and his precious golden boy."

Jason should have let her join them. Hell, Zordon should have made her their leader. Tommy deserved to be the leader. She could crush entire cities and no force on Earth could stop her.

Tommy stood up, feeling invincible for the first time in a long time. She narrowed her eyes at Rita. "Give it to me."

Rita laughed. Tommy's vision swirled in a flash of cold and she found herself sitting on a chair in the dark. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and turned on the flashlight.

She was in a cockpit, that much was obvious. There wasn't enough room to get out of the seat she was in. The curved wall in front of her was ice-cold. She could only assume it was the canopy, but it was totally black as if it literally ate the light. There was also a panel in front of her that looked like it should house the control system.

Tommy had no idea what to do next. She figured she'd try anything and everything until it got going, so she tapped her fingers all over the panel in front of her.

The cockpit illuminated with a pale green light. Symbols on the panel glowed and shifted.

She touched them one by one experimentally. Nothing happened. She tried swiping her fingers over the panel, first one direction, then the other. They still wouldn't respond. She did everything she could think of, then slapped wildly at the console. Nothing worked.

Tommy's stomach burned. Rita had fucked her over. "Get me out of here, bitch!" She thrashed around in the cramped cockpit, trying to break free.

Something drew her eye to a glowing bar on one side of the control system. It hadn't been there before. There was an identical one on the other side. Tommy's hands reached out and pushed both of them forward. They began to fill as a low whine rose from below her feet.

The viewscreen in front of her snapped on. It showed a bunch of symbols Tommy couldn't read. A pair of floating joysticks emerged from under the panel. They flew and spun erratically as if they were looking for something. Tommy caught the sticks. They tried to pry themselves out of her grip, but she wouldn't let go. There were triggers on one side, so she lined them up with her fingers, figuring they worked the weapons. She had no idea how to drive a zord, but she didn't care.

Tommy pushed the sticks forward, the zord took off like a fighter jet. It started spinning out of control at the slightest movement of her hands. She lost all sense of direction as It drilled through the water. She tried to steer by pulling on the the joysticks, but they didn't listen. They only did what they wanted.

An alarm went off. A huge wall of rock barreled at her. She pulled back on the sticks, desperate to get control. The zord rose.

The cockpit breached the water and came crashing back down. Tommy's eyes hated the light. At least the sun meant she was at the surface, in fact she could see land.

She shook her head and tried turning the zord. The sticks still weren't listening to her. It ran north, parallel to the coastline, slowly approaching the shore on her right.

The zord stopped on the shallow water, just off of the wharf. There was a series of 'clunk's from behind her and felt the zord shift. The cockpit rose. Mountains leveled with her, then the rest of Angel Grove came into view. She could see the top of almost every building.

With one last 'clunk', the zord took a step forward all on its own. It walked much more slowly than when it was gliding through the water. The zord rose and fell, finally coming onto dry land.

Tommy yanked on the control sticks again. They fought against her every movement. The dragon was going wherever it wanted, and it didn't seem to want to go toward town. It went right down a street and carried her toward the mountains.

After a few minutes, the zord came to a stop. It had known all along what Tommy was looking for. The view screen zoomed in to a pair of red figures staring each other down, Jason and Zedd. The control sticks released and Tommy found that the targeting system respond to her movements. She moved the reticule over the pair below her.

'I have found someone better!' The words rang in her ears. To him, she was nothing but trash and so he had thrown her away.

And Jason, that smug piece of shit. He had taken everything from her. She had beaten him, she had beaten all of them. Then he had to ruin everything. He even needed help to actually take her down, that little bitch.

Neither one of them deserved the power they had. Tommy could end it right there. Then she would be the leader. All she had to do was take what was rightfully hers.

Tommy held the triggers down, expecting to rain fire on them. Instead, two bars on the HUD began to fill. A hum rose on either side of her. Her zord's cannons were charging big shots.

Finally, the two turned their heads, Tommy had gotten their attention. They thought she wasn't a threat, well there was nothing they could do about it now. They were stuck, dead, out in the open, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Tommy began to laugh.

The instant they actually moved, Tommy released one trigger with a held breath. A round from the cannon and tore through everything around them and exploded. It was bright and green and beautiful. Through the smoke, the zord's sensors showed a crater in the ground where Zedd and Jason had been standing. Nothing could withstand that.

With no reason to keep one back. Tommy let the other shot go. The blast flung molten chunks of rock from the ground. Everything shattered and died in her wake. Tommy stomped her feet and screamed in joy.

She couldn't believe it. Her hands shook and a euphoria washed over her. With the Dragonzord she was going to get everything she wanted. She could blow up the whole god damn world if she wanted to.

A torrent of red bolts of light struck Tommy's zord. Her ribs jerked into the wall of her cockpit.

The fire didn't stop but it also wasn't doing much damage. The source was a red T-Rex about half a mile away. Stupid. Tommy laughed. She was going to show him what a real zord could do.

Tommy held the triggers to charge her cannons. Jason charged right at Tommy.

She scoffed, pointing her cannons at him. The matchup was completely one-sided. What was he going to do?

Two hard shots ripped through the air and struck Tommy's left shoulder in rapid succession, forcing her zord to lurch back a step. One of Tommy's shots went wide, the other was right on.

The T-Rex broke its charge at the last instant and tried to jump out of the way. Tommy technically missed, but she didn't need a direct hit anyway. The ground under its feet erupted and it was caught up in the shockwave. The zord flew through the air and crashed to the ground.

Tommy snickered, shaking her head. How could it end any other way? She moved her zord and stood over the broken heap, thinking about how she would finish it off. Tommy settled on flattening the cockpit with her foot.

She raised the zord's foot for the crushing blow when the T-Rex sprung to life. It rammed Tommy's chest with its head, forcing it back. Fucking faker.

The two zords circled each other. Tommy stared her opponent down. Jason leaned his head tilted back like he was still looking down on her. He grit his teeth, as good as dead and he knew it.

Tommy laughed. The little bitch was below her in that dinky zord. Admittedly, it was only just below her, her zord wasn't much taller than his. But Tommy's dragon was much more powerful. She could feel its bulk. She was about to tear that overgrown chicken apart.

She charged her cannons again. The left arm wasn't responding. A damage report showed a broken control line. Those two shots Jason took before he went down had gone clear through her zord's shoulder and broke something.

That fucker. It didn't matter. She didn't need two shots to kill him. One was plenty. Tommy got low and pointed her right cannon right in the dinosaur's face.

The bubble shot out of her gun. Jason sidestepped, leaving it explode behind him.

Jason pounced at her faster than he should have been able to. Jaws raked down Tommy's right side. One of the sensors on the panel started flashing.

Tommy spun, slamming Jason with her useless left arm. Completely ineffective. He was already inside her defense.

She could still break him if she leaned on him. Tommy had been in worse positions and come out on top. She could still make Jason submit.

Before Tommy could get into position, Jason twisted his zord and sank his teeth into Tommy's right arm. His guns jabbed into Tommy's chest. Two point-blank shots ripped through her zord and alarms rang out. The console indicated catastrophic damage. The controls wouldn't respond. Tommy pounded on the panel to get control.

Jason pushed her onto her back. Tommy's head slammed into something hard.

* * *

She woke up to the whine of bending metal. Jason pryed the cockpit open and grabbed her by the throat He held her up an inch from his face, eyes burning with a white hot rage.

Tommy laughed and reached for his coin.

Jason threw her to the ground. The pain was a faint echo.

She was in a cave surrounded by other zords. The stupid-looking red one was flanked by the yellow and blue ones. Swirling metal plates barely armored the machinery underneath. They looked like something out of a modern art gallery.

Someone was yelling, someone else was yelling back.

Tommy got to her knees and finally got her first look at her zord. Rita had lied. It wasn't a dragon. She had expected spikes, huge claws, and glowing red eyes. It didn't look anything like that. Stumpy legs and a stumpy tail came out of a shell on its back. It was a turtle. It wasn't anything cool or special, it was the biggest stupid-looking modern art piece of all.

Tommy collapsed. How could she be so fucking naive? Rita was cackling her head off somewhere.

She had lost everything. They were going to take everything away again. The green coin, the dagger, the fifty-foot-tall robot, they all belonged to Tommy. And now Jason was going to take them away? Why him? What did he have!? What was he that Tommy wasn't!?

Tommy choked on the lump in her throat.


	15. Red Anger | Yellow Bargaining

**Chapter 14**

**Red Anger**

"That's not going to work, Beverly." Jason's dad started breathing heavily. And he wouldn't stop moving.

Jason put his toy robot down and looked into the carpet. His mom and dad were yelling at each other again. He was only seven years old. They were giants, always fighting about stuff Jason didn't know.

"Don't you want me to be able to take more time off?" Jason's dad asked. "We talked about traveling. What happened to that?"

"We talked about traveling, but we also talked about moving back to the Bay Area. I don't understand why you're so upset."

"We can barely afford to live in the Bay Area right now. How are we going to survive if you take a pay cut?"

"So you want me to stay where I am?"

"I never said that."

"But you're thinking it."

Jason ran to his room and closed the door.

"It will be tight, but working for the college will also pay for my classes."

"Classes for what?"

"Getting my master's degree."

"I thought you said you wanted to take the manager's position when he retires in 10 years? You don't need a masters for that."

"Is that all you're going to focus on?"

"Which one is it? 'Cuz you can't do both, Beverly."

He had to hide. Jason crawled under his bed. The hard frame and small space would protect him.

"And what about our son!?" Jason's dad roared.

The noise was too much. Jason tried to squeeze it out, but only managed to hold it in tighter. He begged to not exist. They wouldn't be fighting if he didn't exist.

"What if something happens? Huh!?" His dad shouted. "What then!?"

* * *

Jason pulled his sword out of the console, avoiding eye contact with Zordon. It wasn't his fight. Jason was going to kill Zedd.

"You cannot beat Zedd without the other rangers," Zordon said. "It took your entire team coming together to beat Rita. That's how you morph, that's how you summoned the Megazord. You can do it again with Zedd."

"Did you see what he did to that little girl!?" Jason tightened his fingers at the memory. "The others are a vulnerability when we fight this guy. I need to take him out now. And I need to do it alone."

Zordon's wall shifted. "You cannot continue drawing more power."

"Yes, I can. It's working." Jason turned to walk out the door.

"It's an illusion, Jason!"

Jason had become stronger, faster, and better since he had started pulling power from the grid. Zordon was wrong. He felt better than ever. Old people have values that worked in their time. Maybe coming together was the right plan for Zordon's team, but some old ideology wasn't going to cut it anymore.

The projection of the grid turned from green to red and a bright white speck flashed over it. Zedd was outside.

Zordon's tone became grave. "You are doing exactly what he wants you to do. You are playing right into his hands."

He glared into Zordon's wall. "As long as I kill him, I don't see how." He walked right out of the ship. Zordon was wrong, Jason felt it in his chest.

Jason jumped out of the ravine that hid the ship and landed in the clearing above it.

Zedd sat on a rock like it was his throne. "Let's talk."

They were out in the open, the best place to fight. No one was around, bystanders couldn't get hurt.

Jason's friends were with hum in spirit. Armor crawled over his skin and power surged into his muscles. His senses expanded and time slowed. "I'm going to kill you." Jason drew his sword.

Zedd didn't answer. The air was still, blue sky, white clouds, birds chirped away. Jason could practically hear the ocean. The town was peaceful. He had to be planning something, toying with him.

Jason charged, pulling power from the grid and adding it to his swing.

Zedd caught the blade in midair. "You continue to grow stronger, and you have unshackled yourself from your friends. Good, but we are not going to fight today. I need to show you something."

A heat built in Jason's hands. He needed more power. His teeth ground together and his muscles tightened. He ripped his sword out of Zedd's grip and brought it back around. Slashing his enemy, pulling more power into himself, he hit harder and faster. Each time he jerked energy into himself, a new spike of pain shot through him, putting more force into his swings as he beat Zedd back. The movement dulled the pain.

A single kick ceased Jason's assault and knocked him back. Zedd strode around him, not even bothering to look.

Jason took a breath. "You burned her."

Zedd turned. "And what did you learn from that?"

Jason attacked relentlessly. Zedd had to block and deflect, he couldn't ignore Jason anymore. It didn't matter if it wouldn't change anything. It didn't matter that it wouldn't put that little girl back together. Jason didn't care. Zedd was going to die for it.

"Yes, exactly." Zedd slammed Jason's shoulder and kicked him in the chest, knocking him back again. Jason's boots carved through the dirt.

Zedd took a step, circling him. He surged with strength that could shatter steel. "The power is no illusion. It may be the only truly real thing in existence."

"I'm not going to fall for that." Jason needed to think of something. There had to be some way to beat Zedd, some weakness. He just had to find it.

"I look at you and I see both power and determination. Now, you will focus it on your true enemy."

Jason knew who his true enemy was.

The ground fell out from under him. Jason was sure he hadn't moved, but something was teleporting him. He was forced down a metal hallway.

His vision coalesced and he was standing in a desert of white sand. It was the same in all directions.

Zedd crouched down and picked a dark rock out of the dust. He turned it in his hand revealing burned out wires sticking out of it.

As he got a better look at it, Jason noticed it vaguely resembled a face, like a robot wearing a mask.

"There is an insidious adversary, Jason. An undead force that only consumes. I have seen them eat worlds whole." He dropped the face back into the dust. Similar-looking chunks of metal littered the landscape.

"These machines exploit the pieces of the Zeo Crystal. With each one, they grow like a plague. And they are coming for Earth." Zedd turned and began hiking up a hill.

There were footprints, signs of battle, black craters where the sand had turned to glass. Something had happened there, a battle. "Where are we?"

"Alandria. Second planet of the Hive system, relatively close to the Solar system."

Zedd was pulling some stupid bullshit. Jason needed to stay focused. "Why are we here?"

"Alandria's rangers failed." Zedd stopped at the crest of the slope still with his back to Jason. "This is the end of the world."

Jason eyed Zedd, following him to the top of the ridge, and looked at the landscape. He stood on the edge of a crater that had to have been miles deep. The space in front of him was completely empty.

"This is where the machines tore Alandria's Zeo Crystal from the planet," Zedd said. "It was once a blue world, just like yours." Zedd picked up a handful of sand and let it run through his fingers. "Just like mine."

Zedd turned to face Jason "The machines killed everything, vaporized the oceans, and boiled the atmosphere." An entire city lay in ruins, scraped to almost nothing. A collapsed building was flanked by upended pavement. Magma, bubbled to the surface of the crater, slowly burying it.

"These are machines. They do not eat. They do not rest. They do not breathe. They do not need the Zeo Crystal to survive."

Smoke billowed into an empty black sky with no stars. An orange star glared down, not the sun he knew. Jason stood on a dead world.

"All life in the universe depends on us defeating them." Zedd turned his head to look at him. "You need to be powerful enough."

It was all bullshit. Zedd had to be lying. And even if it was true, it didn't matter.

Before he could move, an arc of light ripped across Jason's armor. He stumbled back and regained his balance. A robot, just like the ones buried in the sand, plodded up the crater, firing a plasma gun.

"Where is that initiative you had before?" Zedd asked. He had led Jason into an ambush.

The drone fired again. Jason charged, dodging the next shot. He closed the distance and plunged his sword through the drone's chest and out its shoulder. Wrenching his sword upward, he cleaved right through and cut it in half. The broken machinery convulsed and fell to the ground.

"That was one drone. What will you do against millions?"

Jason kept his sword on Zedd while several more drones marched up the ridge and opened fire. He could deflect their plasma bolts with his sword, but as more joined the fray, they became harder to mitigate. Jason had to turn and fight.

"Power and the will to use it have no place in the group," Zedd said. "By necessity, the group must quash all individuality."

Jason sliced a drone in half, three more filed in to take its place. Where were they coming from? He took a step back.

"You have unique talents and skills," Zedd said. "Do not sacrifice them for the sake of becoming indistinguishable from everyone else."

Jason blocked several shots aimed at him.

"Is that what you want? To be like them, a slave to the will of the group?" Zedd crushed a drone's empty shell under his foot. "It will take everything you are to stand apart."

The army of drones barreled down on him, stepping over the shredded husks of their cohorts. They surrounded him.

"You need to become powerful enough to destroy any adversary alone."

Jason sidestepped a plasma bolt. Reflexes sent his blade into another drone's neck. A burst of plasma exploded on his jaw. He couldn't take much more.

"Attachments will only weigh you down. Free yourself from their chains!"

The drones had pushed him to the brink. Jason stood with Zedd at the ridge of the crater. A two mile fall on one side and an army of machines on the other. This was his last chance.

Jason spun. His sword slammed into Zedd.

Zedd stumbled. Jason hit him again and again. Zedd had to block Jason's strikes while a wave of plasma fire engulfed them.

A white beam broke through Jason's armor. The plate on his side shattered in a shower of red sparks. He swatted the next few shots away and cut down one that had closed in. He focused on regrowing his missing armor.

Zedd hammered his staff down, taking out a column of drones. They filled right back in, continuing their advance.

Jason unleashed a flurry of strikes on Zedd.

Zedd whipped his staff around meeting Jason's sword. Their weapons clashed.

Jason's hands gripped his weapon tighter. He felt the white hot rage in his chest explode.

The dark red of Zedd's visor deepened. "Focus on your enemy."

"I am!" Jason broke and beat at Zedd over and over.

Buzzing machinery filled the empty space above them. Something pounded on Jason's back. His left shoulder exploded and he fell.

Then something happened. A blast split through the landscape, then silence. The buzzing had stopped.

He opened his eyes. Zordon's dark face looked down on him. He was back in the command center.

He pulled himself to his feet. His arm protested the movement, he just squeezed his fist to banish the pain. "You shouldn't have done that." Jason plodded back out the door. "I don't need your help."

"Jason!" Zordon shouted. There was more, Zordon barked at him, but Jason didn't want to hear it. He teleported to the quarry. Zedd led him to the black wall where he and the others had found their coins.

"How long will your let your reliance on others stunt your growth?" Zedd asked.

Jason drew his sword again.

Zedd regarded him. "Killing me won't stop them. You aren't ready."

That little girl's scream echoed in his skull. His friends cried out, burning in their words while Goldar crushed them, He was powerless then, he wasn't powerless now. "I will protect them."

Zedd nodded once. "And I will ensure you do not make the same mistakes I did."

Jason drew the dagger and gripped it in his left hand.

A low 'whir' rose from the other side of the quarry. A robotic monster stood against the sky. It had stubby legs and gigantic sewer pipes for arms. Heavy green armor plates covered the body in an organic design. A zord.

A glow built in its cannons.

Zedd laughed. "I underestimated her."

Jason didn't care who 'her' was. He charged Zedd. A blinding green ball barreled at them. Jason was content to let it kill them both.

Before he could grab him to hold him down, Zedd teleported away, leaving Jason only one option.

Someone had stolen his chance. The Tyrannozord was powered up and ready when Jason climbed into the cockpit. It broke out of the cave and immediately targeted the enemy zord. A readout of hard points and weaknesses flashed over the HUD.

The zord was motionless, facing the wide hole in the ground it had made.

Jason charged his plasma guns and sent a hail of fire at the enemy zord. The shots bounced right off it's armor. Jason circled to get a better angle.

It looked like a turtle, well-protected, but slow. He might be able to outmaneuver it if he could avoid its shots. It was probably much less dangerous up close.

Another glow built in the Turtlezord's cannons. Jason went right for it. If he could get to it before it could get a shot off, he could take it down.

He got closer, and the glow got brighter, the moment stretching forever. He wasn't going to make it.

What he needed was something strong enough to pierce armor. His zord acknowledged the command and replaced his plasma guns with a pair of rail guns. Jason aimed for the left shoulder pulled the trigger.

Two shots rang out, both hitting the target. The other zord reeled, causing one shot to miss entirely. The other was dead on.

Jason broke right at the last second. Avoiding a direct hit would minimize the damage. The ground erupted, the blast taking out everything around him. He launched into the air, engulfed in fire.

The Tyrannozord slammed on the ground. Jason shook his head and gripped the controls. Nothing worked. The leg actuators had jammed on the way down. He was dead in the water.

Jason went to work resetting the actuators and power-cycling the system. The display flicked off and the Tyrannozord went dead, unable to do anything until the process was complete.

The Turtlezord lumbered its way to him. The ground shook with every step it took.

It towered over him and lifted its foot, blocking out the sky. Jason clenched his jaw and beat the control panel. He wasn't going to let this happen.

The system cleared and Jason rammed his zord into the turtle, throwing it off balance.

The other zord regained control and they circled each other like two predators ready to strike.

Jason glared at the pilot, Tommy. He should have known she would fuck with him again. Jason should have put a stop to it before. Her eyes were wide and dangerous.

She pointed her right cannon at him daring him to move. Jason glared right down the barrel.

The shot ripped out of the cannon. Jason sidestepped and attacked, clamping his jaws onto her right arm.

Tommy struggled. Jason only bit harder. With his rail guns pressed into her chest he fired two more shots.

The zord went down. Jason slammed on it a few times to make sure it was broken before pulling it into the cave.

He pried open the cockpit, grabbed Tommy by her shirt collar, and held her up.

She laughed. She actually laughed.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Jason asked.

"Come on, what are you going to do?"

Jason's rage spiked. She got every chance and she had wasted it. He dug his fist into Tommy's gut. He wanted to hear her ribs break. He wanted it to hurt.

Tommy spit up some blood and continued to laugh.

Jason's grip tightened.

* * *

**Yellow Bargaining**

Trini sat at the dinner table with her arms crossed. "I hate green beans."

"You have to eat them," her mom said.

Trini hated green beans. They were green and slimy and they tasted like dirt. And she wasn't going to eat them. Not now, not ever.

"You aren't getting up from this table until you eat them."

Trini didn't care. She had eaten all of her dinner and she didn't want dessert. She would sit there forever if she had to.

Her dad called her mom into the living room. "Don't you move," her mom said. She didn't have to worry, Trini wasn't going anywhere.

Her parents thought they were whispering, but Trini could hear everything. "She can't sit there all night," her mom said.

"I have to get up for work in..."

"I know. I do too."

"Why don't we give her a spanking and send her to bed?"

"I already told her she wasn't getting up from the table until she ate all of her green beans. I am not going back on that. She has to eat all of them."

They were right in front of her, all slimy and green and gross. And now they were cold, making them even more gross. Trini wanted to throw up just having to smell them. But she didn't touch them, if she threw them into the garbage, her mother would win. That's exactly what her mom wanted, to ground her and spank her and make her eat even more green beans. No. She said she wasn't going to eat them and that was that.

Trini's dad came to the table and clasped his hands. "Trini, I'll make you a deal."

* * *

Trini confronted Jason. "Put her down."

Jason turned his head toward her and dropped Tommy. Tommy hit the floor and laughed like it was a comedy routine.

Jason and Trini, decked in full armor, walked up to each other. She was much shorter than he was, but that didn't mean she had to look up at him. She stared into his neck and didn't care what he did.

"We need to do something about her," he said. That much was obvious. But what was he implying?

"What are you going to do?" Trini finally looked up at him. "Kill her?"

Jason glared at her and tightened his fist. "I don't need this shit right now."

"Look, can you just chill for a sec."

He circled the cave. "So you're going to take it? If she steps out of line again, you take the blame?"

Trini kept her composure. She could let him rage all he wanted. Her family hated her. Her friends hated Tommy. Even Zordon would yell at her, about how she was irresponsible in that dad-way he did.

"Yeah," Trini said. "Fine."

Jason looked back at Tommy, less hatred in his eyes. He didn't say anything, but made his way out of the cave.

Trini was alone with Tommy again. Every time this happened, she found herself changing. Tommy knew how to soften her edge. Even Kim wasn't that good at it.

Kim. Trini didn't want to think about her, too many feelings.

Tommy pulled herself up and leaned against a rock. Trini sat on the ground across from her. She sighed.

"You never texted me back," Tommy said. "I thought we had something."

Trini didn't say anything, there was nothing to say. The kiss never should have happened in the first place. But it did, and it was awesome. It was her own secret, something no one could take away.

"I don't owe you anything," Trini said.

There had to be a way she could have Tommy as her girlfriend. She had lost her family, she was losing her friends. She couldn't lose Tommy. Trini could make it work, but it wasn't going to work if Tommy kept fucking shit up.

"What happened?" Trini asked.

Tommy turned away and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Look, I have to give him something."

Tommy spit to the side. The red glob of blood and saliva settled into the dirt.

"Are you working with Zedd?"

"No, I was trying to kill him."

"You were trying to kill Zedd? Then why fight Jason?"

"'Cuz he's an asshole."

"Yeah, a lot of that goin' around."

Tommy snorted.

"Why couldn't you just be cool?"

Tommy huffed. "Give me my coin."

"I can't do that."

"Why the fuck not."

"Because it will kill you."

"As if you care." Tommy growled. "That's not fucking why anyway."

Trini pursed her lips. "I care."

Tommy rolled her eyes.

Trini winced. How could she do that? Just throw her concern away? Maybe she didn't want Trini's concern. Well of that was true, she wasn't getting any.

Trini stood up. "You want it? It's in the command center. Right there for anyone to take."

Tommy looked at her with restrained jubilation.

"If that's all you want, go get it." She kicked dust at her and stomped off. Let Tommy die for all Trini gave a shit. She didn't, she couldn't.

Jason was in the center of the ship, waiting for her. She had expected he would be talking to Zordon or whatever, but he wasn't. He leaned against the railing, sulking about something.

"Let her go," Trini said as she passed him.

"Why? So she can fuck it up again?" Jason leaned his head down.

"What's she gonna do? You think she's got another robot turtle?" Trini rolled her eyes and walked away. It was the best thing she could do for Tommy. Jason wasn't going to do what she told him. No one ever did. She was alone, just like always. She'd never have anyone.

"Hey." Jason crossed his arms and glared at her

Trini looked over her shoulder at him. "Hey."

They looked at each other. Neither doing anything. Jason just looked at her in the eyes. He didn't judge her, he didn't want anything. It wasn't a battle. He was acknowledging her existence. They communicated without words, only pupils and the air between them.

* * *

Trini stood on the sidewalk outside of her parents' house. She could see her stuff in the window of her room where she had left it. Her parents hadn't changed anything.

Trini's brothers threw open the door and ran to her. "Trini!" They jumped all over her. She let herself get knocked over so they wouldn't get hurt.

"Are you coming home?" Keenan asked.

"I don't know."

"We really miss you," Enrique said.

"I miss you guys too."

"Have you heard about the Power Rangers?" Keenan asked. "They fought a monster."

Trini bristled. She wasn't going to let it bother her. "I heard. Did they win?"

"Yeah," Enrique said. "The yellow ranger beat it up!"

"That's pretty cool, huh."

"The yellow ranger is awesome!"

Trini pried her brothers off of her and looked up to find her mom there.

"Trini," her mom gave her the slightest of hugs. "How have you been?"

Trini swallowed her feelings. "Fine."

Her mom blinked. Trini shifted her feet. They looked at each other.

"Are you still going to school?"

"Yeah."

"Can Trini come back home now?" Enrique asked.

Trini's mom glared at her son. "No."

"Why not!?"

"We already talked about this, remember?"

"No!"

"I don't get it!" Keenan stomped his foot. "Why can't she come home!?"

"Because she's doing something bad."

"When I do something bad, you give me a spanking," Enrique said.

"Are you going to throw me out of the house if I do something bad?" Keenan asked.

"No! It's a grown up thing. Trini thinks she's grown up." Trini's mom looked at her pulling her body back, judgement in her eyes. "But she's not. And as long as she chooses what she chooses, she can't live with us."

Trini's dad stood near the front door with his arms crossed. He stared, unmoving, with his nose up like he was so much better than she was.

Trini nodded. "So we're not familia anymore, huh?"

Trini's mom blinked, her mouth twitched at the corner.

"We're familia," Keenan said. We'll always be familia."

"Back inside." Trini's mom grabbed her sons and dragged them back toward the house.

"But you always said familia was the most important thing in the world..."

"Yeah, you said!"

Trini's mom pulled them across the grass.

"I'm taking a job in Amber Beach in three days," Trini's father shouted from where he was. Another new job in a new city. Typical. He raised his chin. "If you're done being a fool, you can join us." Then he led his wife inside, closing the door behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to clear up some things that might be confusing. Red Anger is Zedd's antithesis to Zordon's thesis in chapter 7. Zordon believes power comes from fighting and acting as one, having such a bond that the line between the individual is blurred. This, of course, is represented best in the Megazord, the rangers literally become one person. On the other side, Zedd believes in individual power. The strong rule and the weak serve. Power comes to those who are willing to sacrifice everything to obtain it. The philosophical conflict of the story is collectivism vs individualism and, as you can probably guess, is why I named it "Synthesis".


	16. Blue Depression | Silver Purification

**Chapter 14**

**Blue Depression**

Billy's dad leaned over his workbench. His big black eyes inspected a weird piece of metal. "Tell me what you did today, Billy."

"We had a spelling test at school today, then we did math. It was about fractions. And science was about different types of rocks, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. And then mom picked me up from school and took me to the comic book store. Oh! And dad! There's this new Spider-Man! His name is Miles Morales and he's black, just like me! A black Spiderman! Mom even let me keep the comic!"

"That's quite a day." Billy's dad chuckled, sliding a piece of paper in front of him. "How about you help me with this. " Then he went to do something on his workbench.

On the paper, there was a picture of a bunch of gears that all turned together. Billy had seen this before, the object was to figure out which way the last gear turned. Most of the gears connected directly, but some of them had belts that turned other gears. An arrow showed the direction the first gear turned. The one directly connected to it would be going the opposite direction. And the one connected to that one would be going the opposite again but faster because it was a lot smaller. It added speed, but took away power. The next one was connected to a belt that turned another gear, so both of those would be going the same way.

He followed the rotation all the way end and made an arrow that looked like the one at the beginning to show the direction.

Billy could see the gears all spinning on the page, working together, just like one of those machines his dad worked on. There were five more gear diagrams on the paper and Billy drew arrows on all of them. Sometimes his dad needed his help with that.

There was a picture of a machine piece further down the paper, then a whole bunch of similar looking pieces below it. That wasn't something Billy had ever seen.

Some of them looked exactly the same, but some were weird. Looking at the first group, one had a thing added on one side. Another was missing a part of the bottom. Billy hated them. They all had to look the same. He blacked out all the parts that didn't look exactly like the one at the top.

When he was done, his dad got up from the table and looked at the paper. "I'm proud of you, son. You're going to be a great engineer."

Billy felt good. He always liked being with his dad.

"Now why don't you come over here and help me organize my tools."

Billy leapt out of his chair. He loved putting his dad's tools in the right order.

* * *

Billy tried everything to get to get the thoughts out of his head. He went to all the pages he frequented on the internet. He couldn't read three lines before he realized he hadn't picked up anything and clicked to another page. He would watch a video and it would end with him not remembering what it was even about.

He watched videos on the internet. 'Seven Background References You Missed in the Latest Marvel Movie', 'Five Times Blackest Night Jumped The Shark', 'Mysteries of the Large Gaps Between Prime Numbers'. He couldn't watch for more than five seconds before clicking away. Nothing could hold his attention. Billy wanted to jump out of his own skin. He was so sick of everything he used to like.

Billy dug out his old video game system and loaded Streets of Fury. It was a game he used to love as a kid. The worn controller felt familiar in his hand, and the movements came naturally. Press 'B' to punch and 'C' to jump. Don't press 'A' unless you have to. Being able to do something helped him focus.

On the screen, a bunch of bad guys tried to surround him. His little good guy punched enough times to make the bad guys disappear. An arrow blinked, indicating that he should move to the right until more bad guys surrounded him and he had to do it again.

It was simple, easy to understand. He'd already beaten the game several times when he was younger. The same thing over and over. No big decisions. No worrying about what happened to the people who disappeared.

Billy spent a lot of time sleeping. Usually, his window had bright light streaming through it, but it got to where light became a rare occurrence. It was dark almost all the time. Dark, light, in between, Billy didn't care.

He thought about going outside. But, whenever he went out, people always wanted something from him. They would get his attention and ask him questions with strange faces. They told him to do things he wasn't sure about. They looked him in the eye and got mad for no reason. His hands would shake just thinking about it.

Why couldn't they just know? Why did he have to get so involved? He never bothered anyone. But the were always so insistent, they always wanted something from him.

Sometimes, when his brain wouldn't let him, Billy struggled to get even two words out. But there was no way they'd make sense to anyone anyway. He couldn't be around people. They were so complicated.

His dad told him in those times he should build something. He showed Billy how parts fit together, piece by piece. Each part did it's own job and it all made the thing work. It made sense. The numbers, colors and shapes all meant something. Not like people with their eyes. Not even like Billy himself.

His dad used to say that Billy's brain wasn't broken, it just worked differently. It made connections other people's brains wouldn't. It meant he could think different, and different was good.

That was all before his mom took him to a doctor who told him he was autistic. After that, there were a bunch of specialists who told him what to do when he got overwhelmed. Find a nice quiet place until you feel like coming out.

So that's what he did. He went to his basement and didn't come out.

"Is something wrong, Billy?" his mom asked while it was kinda bright outside.

Billy didn't have anything to say. His mouth felt fuzzy, like it wanted to talk, but there was nothing to say.

"Is this one of those times you just want to be left alone?"

Billy couldn't say anything. His brain wouldn't form words. He felt his mouth opening and closing out of control. He tried to push any sound out, and failed. Inside he was screaming for help, but no one could hear him.

His mom did a face thing and she went back up the stairs. He was glad when she was gone. With him by himself, there was no one to misunderstand anything. Billy was a part that was different from any other part. He didn't fit anywhere.

The sound of a leaf blower revved outside his window. People going about their days as if nothing had happened. No alien attacks. What about their families? Would they ever find out what really happened? Would the government lie?

The ceiling reverberated with his mom walking around the house. The washing machine droned and spun. The clicking of a mouse. Billy skipped through time.

Unconscious, roll over, unconscious, stare at the wall, unconscious. What day was it? He looked at his phone. Thursday, 6:04 PM. Had it been three days or ten or seventeen? Did it matter?

Why couldn't he get up? Why couldn't he just say what he needed to say?

He wanted to know. He couldn't go forward if he didn't have answers.

Their bodies were encased in concrete around the Zeo Crystal, probably trying to swim through rock. But where were their minds? Did they just disappear?

Black nothingness. That was all Billy remembered about being dead. Was that where those people went? That place between everything. Not hot, not cold, not full, not hungry, unable to move or feel or care.

"Dad. I did something bad... really bad." Billy spoke to wherever his father was, his eyes itchy the entire time. "I've kinda been doing it a lot. Mom's van got smashed by a train and I told her it got stolen."

That wasn't it. Crashing mom's van was bad, but that wasn't all of it.

"I killed some people, dad..."

Just disappear, like the bad guys in that old video game. That was what he was, a bad guy. He started pounding on his chest as hard as he could. He needed to be punched enough times.

* * *

**Silver Purification**

Zhane stood beside Andros' grave. He could almost feel his friend's hand on his shoulder. If they were going to feel a connection, that was the best place to do it.

Eric took long, controlled breaths, concentrating on the copper coin in his hand. It had been a few days since he had bonded with it. His strength and resilience had risen, but he hadn't been able to morph. He was trying to do it through sheer force of will, even though that would never work.

Zhane had never trained anyone before. The role of leader had never fit well, it was never something Zhane had wanted. But the coin had chosen, it would not leave Eric's side, and there had to be a ranger to train him.

"The armor is already with you. Feel your connection with me, with your brother, with the entire planet, and bring it out." Zhane recited the words exactly as Trey had done with him, so long ago.

Eric grimaced and paced back and forth, frustrated. He usually took solo assignments, preferring to work alone. When he did work with a team, he took the leadership position. That was probably the problem.

"Let's do this together." Zhane stepped toward Eric. "Me and you."

Eric nodded, relaxing a bit. They stood directly across from each other and focused.

It had been a long time since Zhane had morphed with another ranger, since the day Andros had died, the day Trey had charged him alone with the defense of an entire planet.

A reverberating tremble built between them. Zhane focused on Eric. "The Power Rangers are a legion.

Eric roared, his gaze to the sky and his fists clenching. Zhane tried to push power into him.

Nothing happened, Eric's roar faded and it was over. The moment ended with neither of them moprphing.

Eric growled, folding his arms over his chest. There was a wall separating them. Getting Eric to morph was going to take a long time.

Eric glared at him. "How do you do it?"

Zhane found an explanation in Trey's words again. "Its a connection-"

"Don't tell me there's this intergalactic army of soldiers I'm supposed to feel a connection to. It's been you, alone, for years, and you don't need to connect with anyone to morph. Teach me that."

Zhane took a breath. Eric had a point. He was never going to morph the old way. And Zhane had already proven he didn't need it. It went against everything Trey had taught him, but it was the only thing that might work.

What would Andros say? Zhane looked to his grave and his heart sank. Andros was dead, he would always be dead. That feeling that he was still with Zhane was a lie. He was reminded of that fact every time he morphed. He didn't connect with anyone. The hole in his chest throbbed.

Zhane looked at Eric in the eyes. Eric held his stare. "Have you ever lost anything?"

"I have lost more than you can imagine." He turned away. Eric was a serious man, he never joked, or talked about himself, or even smiled. They had worked together for a few years, defending the city, but they had never gotten to know each other.

"Tell me."

"No."

Zhane gave in to that hole in his heart where Andros would be and silver plates formed over his body. He had never really realized it before, but that was exactly how he morphed. "Your loss may be the only thing that will bring out your armor."

"You want to hear it?" Eric snarled, eying Zhane's armor. "Fine." He stared straight into Zhane's eyes like he was accusing him of something.

"Drones killed my mother when I was seven. I had to grow up, working in the mines, without anyone. And I fucking persevered. I hauled more ore than any three other slaves combined. And then, one day, three guys in invincible metal armor, stomped through my part of the mine and destroyed every single drone. Then they left. The drones were the ones who gave us food. The miners who survived, we didn't know if we were going to get another meal." Eric winced. "Some people were hiding some so they could eat on the days they couldn't mine enough ore. So I did what I had to do."

Zhane should have understood why Eric hated the gangs as much as he did.

"I took it from them." Eric's hands curled into fists gleaming with copper armor that stopped around his elbow. "They were starving and I took it right out of their hands."

Zhane returned home considering the implications of his training with Eric. He shouldn't have done that. That wasn't how Trey had trained him. Trey had instructed Andros and Zhane that they were always to come closer together, and never let their past define them. Anyone who became a Power Ranger was a part of the whole and true power came when the rangers fought and acted as one.

He hadn't stopped to think about all the people he had to leave behind before he, Trey and Andros had defeated Ecliptor. At the time, he was so convinced that if he could just destroy the machines, everything would be better. But people had needs the rangers couldn't fulfill. As his focus had shifted from destroying drones to taking down the gangs, he should have realized what was happening. They needed more, someone who could do both, someone who could do everything.

He went to his chest of clothes and stripped off his tunic.

Karone hugged him from behind. "Long day?" Her warmth spread across his back.

Zhane reached behind himself to feel her. "Yeah." She squeezed tighter.

"I bet I can make you feel better." Karone grabbed him and pulled him down to kiss her. Zhane laid his burden down with a long low sigh.

She rested her body on his and he held her.

Several explosions rattled through the floor, just outside their home.

The foundation of the city shook. Zhane held Karone, protecting her from any collapse. His armor swirled around his body. The shack held. When the shaking stopped, Zhane and Karone looked at each other.

"Go. They need you," she said.

Zhane clasped her hands in his. "Get somewhere safe."

"I will." She put her hand onto his cheek. "Come back to us."

"I always do," he said with a smile.

Outside, with his helmet back on, the sky was a deep purple. A low 'roar' fell out of the clouds. People ran, scrambling around each other in every direction, many carrying everything they could. The city's structure lurched from all the movement, shouts only adding to the chaos.

A piercing screech sliced through the air like a thousand razor blades. Shots of plasma rung out and a collective scream took over, driving people away from the light. Those who stumbled were left behind and trampled, screaming for help.

Zhane cut through the crowd.

A hail of plasma fire crashed into the advancing drones. A line of Silver Guardians were already responding with their riot shields up. All fired at the incoming wave.

Eric charged the enemy, his armor briefly materializing, then fading.

There was no time to deliberate Eric's negligence. A trio of drones crushed the door to a nearby dwelling. Zhane trusted Eric and the guardians to do what they did best and charged in after the drones.

Inside was it was pitch black but completely untouched. The Machine Empire didn't need material goods or even rare minerals. This time, they weren't out to destroy anything. The feeling made Zhane all the more apprehensive.

One of the drones pulled two people apart. The man and woman clutched each other for dear life. The other two stood, casual observers to the violence.

Zhane stabbed his spear through one drone, while another opened fire. He shrugged off the hit and threw his spear into its central casing.

The last drone managed to separate the pair and carried its victim out of the shack while choking another with its claw.

Zhane grabbed the cables connecting the drone's arm to the rest of its body and pulled. The drone's arm went limp and the woman tore herself free.

Zhane pulled the other arm off, careful not to hurt the man. Once he was clear of any flying debris, Zhane destroyed the drone.

"Get to safety."

With a determined look, the woman carried her mate out. Zhane followed.

Outside, the drones had already overwhelmed the guardians. Though lost, they had covered most of the civilian's retreat. Their bodies lay on battered metal of the floor. Only Eric remained, pounding into a line of drones. Most of his body gleamed in copper armor. Whatever he was doing was working.

Drones lined up at the entrance of every dwelling ready to pull people out of their own homes.

Something was different about this attack. All Zhane's life, the Machine Empire had been the nightmare in the black night sky. They took no prisoners, killing in an instant. Now they were literally kidnapping people and taking them away. What use did they have for living beings?

Zhane broke the closest drone in half, his rage multiplying his power. He was surrounded and six more drones went down. One dragging a young man by the foot.

No, Zhane would save everyone he could. With a few moves, the man ran to safety.

A plasma bolt slammed into Zhane's side. A Machine Empire drone ambushed him from the left, two more came around a corner on his right.

Zhane pushed the pain out of his mind and made slag of the three of them. He would not fail.

Ahead, the drones shadow grew over Zhane and the city shook. Some kind of vessel had descended from space and the drones loaded the people they had captured into it. Zhane couldn't stop all of them, there were so many. One of the faces reached out to him in the smoke.

Karone, they had Karone. They were taking her away.

Zhane teleported forward, he wouldn't let them take her, only to be battered into the ground.

Ecliptor, or a duplicate of it, crushed it's foot into Zhane's chest.

Zhane tried to push it off of him, but it had him pinned.

Eric charged in to save him, oblivious to what he was facing.

Ecliptor's arm shifted and formed a plasma gun. A white hot beam streaked out of it. And Eric's chest exploded.

Eric fell to the floor with his body smoking and armor destroyed.

The drones continued their work, invading homes, ripping people out

Zhane needed more power, he needed to be invincible. There had to be some way he could force his body to hold together in the face of the machines' onslaught.

The limitless energy within the morphing grid called to him. It begged him to take it. Zhane took a breath and reached into the overwhelming light.

Zhane pushed the boot off of himself and plunged his spear into the Ecliptor's neck. He tore through it, bringing the beast down. Energy flooded through his heart and out his skin.

He charged up through the path toward the drones' ship.

It felt like falling, with the ground rushing closer, an uncontrollable adrenaline rush. Nearby drones turned and fired in vain to stop him. Plasma splashed off of him like water. His armor did not falter, it only strengthened.

Plates of invincible silver grew over him and he ripped through the drones effortlessly. They threw themselves into him to slow him down and he cut through each and every one. Zhane had gone far past his limit.

The power was quickly becoming too much. He couldn't hold on to all of it at once. The ground was coming too fast.

This time, he wouldn't allow his armor to overcharge. He needed the power, Karone needed him to be stronger, he couldn't let go. The drones carried Eric's limp body into their ship. That stupid fail-safe wasn't going to stop him. He would save her. He had to save both of them. He held on tightly, but the power did not stop growing. Finally it became as massive as a star.

The power exploded inside him. Shards of metal erupted through Zhane's skin, splintering through his bones. It reached down his arm, cracking through his hand and tearing each of his fingers off. His bones broke and the heat melted his teeth right out of his mouth. Zhane's own armor turned his body inside-out.

He couldn't move. No longer a flexible second skin, Zhane's armor locked his joints in place. All he could do was watch the drones drag Eric and Karone, still reaching for him into the ship.

She screamed, and Zhane was powerless to stop it.

The doors closed and the ship lifted into the sky. Zhane couldn't so much as lift his head to watch.

Karone was gone and the world went silent. Zhane couldn't do anything but suffer while unlimited power pulsed inside of him. It pushed and pulled and crashed, but he was beyond letting it go.

Zhane might as well have died there. There was nothing left of him.


	17. Black Acceptance | Prismatic Reflection

**Chapter 16**

**Black Acceptance**

Zack carried his mother over a mountain, into a valley filled with mist, and to the top of a hill overlooking the ocean. He stopped at a tree. A long time before, his mom had explained it was cedar, the entrance to the afterlife. Zack had never believed his mother when she talked about 'spirits' or anything like that, but that exact tree was where his father had rested.

The last time he saw the tree was Zack's earliest memory. It was shorter back then, but Zack was too. He could still clearly remember his mother's black hands spreading his father's ashes around the tree. Not a single tear fell from her eyes.

Zach took a deep breath. He didn't have a fancy urn to keep his mother in. She rested in a flower pot. Zack knelt and spread his mother's ashes into the ground as best as he could remember. His mom fell into the earth around the tree and his parents were finally together again.

His body felt empty. Whatever he was carrying went into the dirt where it belonged. He had been holding on for so long, he forgot what it was like to let go.

The sun set under the shimmering sky. The sea reflected the light, making it shine. Zack sat on the hill watching the colors. He breathed and let himself fall away, eventually falling asleep under the tree, traveling the universe in dreams.

* * *

Faint starlight lit the way back through the trail down the California coast. The way was long and damp. Waves crashed against the rocks.

Light came again, as it always did. There was a town down the trail that consisted of a gas station, a diner, and little else.

Three old truckers sat at the far end of the bar. A few others huddled in booths nearby. A waitress stood on the other side of the bar with her hand on her hip. All had their eyes glued to a television.

"Good morning," the waitress called without turning her head. "You can sit anywhere."

People moved around, doing whatever it was they did. Most of them worried about what would keep them in their current position through the week, some drank to forget their immediate insignificant worries. Simple desires held them prisoner.

One of the truckers said something about "the book of Revelation." Others murmured in agreement. Such a conceited way to look at the end of the world. The world had ended countless times and would end again. Such was the cycle of life and death. They, like so many others before, never considered the end of their existence. People needed to cling to something familiar, it made them feel better. They couldn't just let things be as they were.

The picture on the screen focused on Zedd. He fought off many colors, though he wasn't really fighting. He aimed for a specific result, but used only a fraction of his power.

Someone very important to him, had been taken. A scared little boy who had lost his family and had searched the universe to find them. A good man who had lost his way. Red, pink, yellow, and blue struck at silver, but Zedd's bottomless pit of need would never be satiated.

There was a pull toward the battle. Their desire was for their old friend, but he was done with worthless fighting. He had seen the cycle, and how it would continue infinitely. Everyone was destined for the exact same fate. Another would take his place, and another again. All the meaning they poured into one war, one battle, one movement, meant nothing.

The universe convulsed in derision. It was dying, calling for Zack Taylor as one who could set it on the proper path. It needed him and Jason Scott, and Trini Kwan, and Zhane There was no way to escape it.

Screw this guy who thought power was something to be chased, Zack wasn't going to let it hurt anyone, especially not his friends. Zack put a $20 on the table and walked out of the diner without finishing his meal. His steps took him across the street, into a forest.

He took a deep breath, watching the fog run through black trees as they reached up to a cloudy sky. The morning was heavy and still. A dull roar echoed through the world.

Zack put his hand into his pocket. He felt the familiar shape of his coin. Time and space spread through him, starting in his fingers, moving through his body, and across his eyes.

Zack took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. His breath crept out of his mouth and swirled into the rest of the fog. He took eight steps forward. The world fell away and he was left with only the chill and darkness. His body fell between every bit of matter in the universe. He became the void.

* * *

**Prismatic Refection**

Jason only saw Zedd in the red paint and chrome bumper of his truck. The paint imitated the helmet in a thin line over stretched meat, mocking him.

Jason winced and squeezed his fist until his knuckles went white. He ripped the bumper right off his truck and threw it to the ground. The bolts held onto the frame, making it a mangled mess.

"Tell me how you really feel."

Jason turned his head to find Zack standing next to him, like nothing had happened. "Zack? Where have you been?"

Zack tilted his head like he didn't understand the question. "I've been right here the whole time."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Zack smiled and looked away. "Look man, it's not me you need anyway."

"What?"

"What was that?" Jason's dad threw the screen door open. It swung shut behind him with a 'clunk'. He was holding an open beer, but he wasn't mad, he was confused.

Jason looked back to Zack, but he was gone. Maybe he was seeing things.

Jason's dad pointed at the destroyed hunk of metal on the ground. "You gotta get a new bumper. That one's warped."

Jason realized his dad could have seen him tear metal with his bare hands. He heard it at the very least, but Jason didn't care. He turned around and folded his arms over his chest. "What the fuck is the point?"

"Get a new bumper, Jason. It's not like it's hard."

"I don't give a shit about the bumper! Nothing I do matters!"

Jason's dad took another sip of his beer. "Aren't you supposed to be volunteering?"

Jason wanted to hit something. He wanted to destroy his truck in an explosion of metal all over again. He almost didn't care if his dad saw or not. "What the fuck does it matter? Zedd's just going to destroy it again. That or something worse is gonna happen."

Jason's dad turned and stared out over the bay, holding his beer like he did, no real expression on his face. "Back when I was younger, only a little older than you, I was on this crew. The boat was owned by this old hardass. The man was fishing before nets were invented. He gave me the helm one day, and I did... okay." He took a leisurely sip of his beer. "There's a few months of this, him letting me on the helm. Until one day, we were way out, took a risk and got caught in a storm..."

Jason only half-listened. He couldn't focus, couldn't sit still. He had to do something. Now his dad wanted to tell him a story.

"Thirty-foot waves crashing onto the deck. Mendez scrambled to get the harvest secured. Liu was getting the crew together. And I'm standing there, this inbreaker, green as grass, nothing to do but sit on my fucking hands and try not to fall overboard."

Adults liked telling these stories, little fables they thought would make everything all better.

"Hey!" Jason's dad grabbed Jason's shoulder and held his eyes. "Old hardass grabs me by the PFD." Jason's dasd gripped his shoulder. "Drags me into the wheelhouse, and plants me at the helm. Says 'You're driving.'

I look at the deck officer, he's shitting his pants. Hardass's gone before I can even say anything."

Jason took a long breath. "So what?"

Jason's dad shook his head. "I made mistakes, a lot of 'em. But that old hardass saw what I could do. Mendez was a bear. The guy was seven foot three. Those ropes were nothing to him. Liu, you could hear her clear through a bomb going off. We all had something, and that old hardass knew I could steer us through the storm while he did his stuff. And I did. Instead of an empty pair of hands, I drove us home, and freed up a better pair of hands to do what they needed to do."

Jason looked away.

Jason's dad looked back out over the water, calm as glass. "I've had my crew for eight years. Every time I go out there, I could lose someone. I could die myself. But I sail on. I trust my crew to do what they need to do. 'Cuz it does matter. Everything you do matters. And the best leaders know who goes where."

* * *

Kim stuffed clothes into her backpack. She should have just left with whatever, but she was already home so she was going to do it right. She couldn't stay.

A chill blew through her room. Someone was there, right behind her. Jason, just like she had done to him, their first kiss. She wouldn't look at him, he'd just try to convince her to stay.

"I'm leaving, Jason. Zack had the exact right idea."

"I'm full of good ideas, Kim." Zack threw himself onto her bed, laying on his side. A smirk played on his mouth.

Kim threw her arms around him. "I'm sorry about your mom. I've been thinking about her a lot."

"It's okay, Kim. I'm okay." His eyes offered catharsis, and his shoulders were relaxed. He wasn't lying, there was no pain, only peace. He looked down, into her backpack, then back at her. "Where are you gonna go?"

"Anywhere that isn't here."

"And you think that's far enough to get away?"

"I don't give a shit about Zedd-"

"I'm not talking about Zedd. You're not leaving for the same reason I did." He leaned in close, eyes seeing right through her. "Look, you don't have to tell me what it is, but you can't run from it. That's not the Kim I know."

Amanda didn't have anything to do with anything. Kim put her phone charger into the front pocket of her backpack. "I'm not running away." Her voice wavered, she didn't believe herself either.

Zack wasn't there when she looked back up at him.

Jason had been wrong that night, Kim deserved everything she got. She really was a bad person.

* * *

Billy was only aware of the wall of his basement before he heard boots coming down the stairs.

"Hey bro."

"Zack? What are you doing here?"

Zack was carrying a cardboard box that he placed onto Billy's dad's workbench. "I wanted to see you." He spun a chair on the floor and sat in it backwards. His forearms rested on the back. "I never got to thank you."

"Thank me? For what?"

"For saving my life."

"I- Well I-" Billy had no idea what Zack was talking about. Maybe when they fought Goldar or something. "When did I save your life?"

"You pulled that lever and protected the Zeo Crystal."

"That- tha- it was bad-" his eyes hit the ground and he started shaking his head. "I mean... What I did..."

"No. It was good. The whole world is still here, because you pulled that lever. I don't know if I would have made the right decision."

"...I still think it was bad."

Zack cocked his head. "Do you know what a mantra is?"

"Yea- I mean I've heard the word. It's like when you say something to yourself, right?"

"Yeah. Here's what I want you to do when start thinking about this, say 'Hm'-" Zack stopped and held a weird face for a few seconds. Finally, he put his hand on Billy's shoulder.

Billy looked at him, confused, halfway between wanting Zack to not touch him and it making him feel... good? It was like his friend was there and also not there, looking at him and, at the same time, looking away.

"I want you to say 'I do the things other people can't do.'"

Billy shook his head. "I... can't..." There was no way he ever could. "I can't... do..."

"You don't have to believe it. But when doing anything becomes impossible, I want you to say it."

"I mean- I- I'll try."

"Do. Or do not. There is no 'try.'" Zack said in a Yoda voice.

Billy laughed and shook his head. Yoda was always funny."

"You mind if I leave this here?" Zack opened his cardboard box. Billy leaned forward and saw it was full of spare parts. "I broke this thing. Promised I would put it back together."

"What is it supposed to be?"

Zack was already halfway up the stairs. "I never figured that out. Probably why I broke it."

"Why are you leaving it here?" Billy asked, but Zack was already gone. Billy pulled some of the parts out and set them on the bench.

There were wheels, and tubes, and what looked like an air pump. Almost everything was plastic. There were a few screws that had fallen to the bottom of the box. The tubes could be connected.

* * *

Trini thought her music could keep the world out. Her room in the ship became her very own personal bomb shelter.

A knock rang through the door. Trini didn't care who it was. "Go away."

The door opened anyway. Trini picked up something nearby and threw it at whoever it was. Whatever she threw shattered on the floor. So Trini turned the volume up as high as it could go.

"I like this band," Zack said through the blare.

Trini looked up at him smirking. "I don't want to talk."

"Me neither," Zack said, sitting on the bed.

They sat there, the music blasting, not saying anything to each other. Zack kept that stupid smile on his face while he studied her room.

Finally, Trini turned the volume down and asked, "Do you want to play a game?" She held up a game controller.

"As long as it's not about saving the world."

Trini laughed. "Mario Kart."

"Perfect."

Trini found something cathartic about shooting turtle shells at one of her best friends. She gloated with all she was worth when she beat him. "How does it feel to be such a loser?"

And he did his best to give it right back when he beat her. "Your controller isn't broken, is it? Oh no, you're just bad at this."

But she beat him more often than not. "Oh! Did I win another gold trophy?" She asked looking up at him with her head in his lap.

Zack shoved her off of him laughing. She didn't stop. "Do I look good in gold, Zack? I think it suits me."

Trini didn't want to talk. Trini wouldn't talk. And Zack made it so easy.

"Can we trade Kim for Tommy?"

Zack shook his head and creased his mouth. "It doesn't work that way."

"Maybe it should." Trini whipped her hair over her shoulder. "Isn't found family all about choosing who you want in your life and who you don't."

"No." Zack smiled like he wanted to not choose who his family was.

"It should. She was a bitch to me."

"She wasn't mad at you. She was mad at me because I was half-assing it. She's actually a pretty good leader, I just don't like to be micromanaged."

Trini flipped over so she wasn't facing him.

"She didn't know that. She wanted to be more cautious. And that plan you suggested, she didn't know that would work either. It was a stupid move if you think about it."

Trini grit her teeth and put a hand over her eyes.

"Then you talked the next day."

Trini wanted him to say something, but he let that hang there. "She talked. I ignored her."

"She talked. What does that say?"

She did talk, like a sister, like someone who loved her unconditionally. Someone she could be mad at until she wasn't anymore. Time and food were supposed to make it, not okay, but fine. And maybe, after more time, it would be good. But that wasn't what happened.

"I left." Trini chewed on her lip. "Some bitch was making fun of her, and I didn't stand up for my friend." Everything inside of her crumbled. "I ran."

"Yeah." Zack looked over at her. "Maybe run back?"

Trini grumbled. She didn't know if she could do that. Family was hard. They couldn't accept who you were, or what you did, or there was some bullshit they couldn't live with.

Still, Kim made an effort, tried to at least. Trini probably owed her the same.

But she had already rejected her before. What she had done, couldn't be undone. "Can I run back?" Trini asked.

He didn't say anything.

"Zack?"

Still nothing. She couldn't even hear his breathing anymore.

"Zack?" She crawled over to where she left him on the floor and he was gone. The game on the tv still showed her character, cheering for herself, with a gold trophy above her head. And Zack's character held tight to a silver.

The asshole teleported away right when she needed him. Trini needed an answer.

* * *

Lunch lady Jason put a biscuit on a tray and served it to the next person.

"Thanks, Jason." He looked up at the familiar voice. It was Ernie, the paramedic who had treated that girl, the one he couldn't save from Zedd.

"Hey..." Jason got his attention before Ernie could walk away. "I remember you had a burn victim that one of the Power Rangers brought in a few weeks ago..." He pulled himself out in front of the counter.

Ernie turned to him with a downcast gaze. "Yeah... I told you about her, huh," he said.

"She got burned, right? How is she?"

"It wasn't good, she went in with second and third degree burns over 25% of her body."

Bile filled Jason's mouth.

"But the girl is a fighter," Ernie said. "I can't imagine what would have happened if the red ranger hadn't have been there."

Jason's head spun. "What?"

"He shielded her. People who saw said he blocked most of the fire.

"How is tha..." Jason couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"The thing is, amazingly, the other 65% of her skin was untouched. With situations like the one she was in, it's always the opposite. In fact, there's usually nothing we can do. The burn center had a lot of good skin to graft from." Jason could hardly breathe. "Grace is gonna be okay. Girl's got her very own superhero."

Jason nearly fell to his knees.

"Thanks again, Jason." Ernie gestured to his tray of food and went to sit at a table.

Jason made his way back behind the counter, on feet that couldn't hold him, breathing with a heavy heart. He dipped his scoop in the mashed potatoes and served the next person.

* * *

Kim knocked on Amanda's door. Her car wasn't in the driveway, it was probably still totaled from Rita's attack.

'That's what you get.' Kim winced at her own words, ashamed of the way she had felt that day.

Amanda opened the door and immediately crossed her arms. "What do you want, loser?"

Kim pursed her lips with resolve. "I wanted to say..." And with that, it was gone. She really wanted to keep her eyes on Amanda, but she couldn't. She was such a coward. "I'm sorry."

Amanda gasped in mock horror. "What ever for, Kim?"

"For..." Kim finally looked up at Amanda. "For sending Ty that picture." There it was, she had admitted it to the person she had hurt. She should have felt relieved, but saying it only made it more real.

"Do you have any idea what that felt like? What I'm still dealing with?" Amanda seethed. "I don't forgive you."

"I know. And if I were you, I wouldn't either."

"Is that supposed to make it better?"

"No. It's never going to get better. It will never be okay... because of what I did-"

"That's right! What YOU did!" Ananda shouted. "You're a terrible person, Kim."

"I know."

"I should call the police."

The police had already talked to everyone when the school had gotten involved. There were issues involving Amanda's age, Kim's age Ty's age. Birth certificates needed to be verified. Ultimately, because everyone involved was legally an adult, the situation was deemed 'not criminal'. Kim had gotten off very lucky. That fact dug at her all the more.

"Anything else?" Amanda asked.

"No."

"Then leave!" Amanda slammed the door in Kim's face.

Kim couldn't hold her tears back any longer. She had expected a weight to lift off her shoulders, but she felt nothing like that. She felt worse than ever. Her eyes squeezed with regret.

She wasn't done. Amanda wasn't the first person Kim had betrayed. Zack was right. She couldn't deny the pattern. She jumped from friend-group to friend group, ripping everything up as she went on her way to the top of the social ladder. So many lies, secrets, betrayals. And it started when Aisha took the blame for Kim's mistake. They hadn't spoken after that.

The thing about old friends is that you remember the most random things, their favorite movie, the way they like their hair braided. Sometimes you have a phone number stuck in your head. And it will always be there, a permanent memento of your wrecked relationship with that person.

When she got back home, instead of going inside she dialed Aisha's number. Sitting in her car in the driveway, she pulled herself back, though there was still a whimper in her voice.

The phone rang three times. "Hello?"

"Hi. Can I speak to Aisha?"

"This is Aisha..."

"Hey, Aisha. It's Kim. Kimberly Hart." There was a really long pause. Aisha didn't say anything. "Look, I uhh... I wanted to say I'm sorry for not standing up for you when we were kids. I... I was scared. Scared I was going to lose all my friends and..." Kim sniffed. "I was right. I lost my best friend."

There was another long pause while Kim came to grips with the reality of it. Aiesha was the last real friend she had until Jason took a walk with her up the trails.

"I just wanted you to know I'm not avoiding it anymore. I'm a bad person."

Aisha didn't answer, she didn't want to talk to her. But she also hadn't hung up. Aisha always believed the best about people. That was why she had taken the blame before, why Kim didn't deserve friends like Trini.

"Do you-" Kim sniffed. "Maybe we could get coffee sometime and catch up?" Kim asked with all the hope she could muster. Her lips pressed together waiting for the answer.

"...I don't know, Kim. This is all..." Aisha trailed off. Totally understandable given that Kim had called her out of the blue, practically sobbing.

"I know. I know it's sudden. You don't have to say 'yes'." She couldn't help herself, tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Maybe I'll get back to you." It sounded like a question.

"Yeah, sure. I'll let you go." Kim needed to get off the call.

"Bye, Kim."

"Bye, Aisha."

Kim hung up the phone and collapsed, bawling into her steering wheel.

* * *

Jason made sure he was fully morphed before he teleported to the hospital. He walked through the automatic front doors and up to the desk. There were two receptionists. One covered her mouth as he approached. Everyone in the waiting room stared at him.

"I'm looking for Grace..." He realized he never got her last name. "She... uh... had some burns."

The receptionist, the one not totally dying of shock, typed on her keyboard. "Grace Sterling, room 231. Second floor, down the hall."

"Thanks." They looked like they wanted to say something, but Jason had someone to check on. He climbed the stairs and walked down the hall. People stopped and gawked at him as he went.

Jason focused on the room numbers, 237, 239, 231. His hand found the handle and he opened the door.

Her skin was discolored and patchy. She had absolutely no hair and looked like a ghost. And her eyes were as bright as the sun.

"It's him! It's him! Look mommy!"

"Grace, settle down." Grace's mom settled her back into the bed to calm her down. "You haven't healed yet."

Jason thought he should leave, he was doing much more harm than good.

"But it's him, mommy. He came to say 'hi' to me."

"I know sweetheart. I know."

Jason sheepishly moved to the side of Grace's bed. "Is it okay?" He asked her mom.

She couldn't speak, so she just nodded her head.

"Hey Grace," Jason said.

"You're the Red Ranger!" Grace cheered.

"Yeah, I am. How are you feeling?"

"Good." Jason doubted that. "Did you know my favorite color is red?"

"It is, huh?" She was exactly like Pearl. "Well I found this teddy bear with a red bow tie that could use someone to snuggle with." He pulled the bear from behind his back and Grace snatched it right up.

"What do you say, Grace?" Grace's mom started.

"Thank you." She squeezed the bear with all her strength.

"You're welcome, Grace."

"Are you going to beat up the big bad guy?" Jason almost laughed from discomfort and pure joy. He was glad she couldn't see his tears. This girl was a firecracker.

"G- Grace..." Grace's mom started. "That's not..." She trailed off, looking for words.

"I don't know if I can," Jason said. In fact, he was pretty sure they were screwed.

"You can do it!" Grace cheered. "You just gotta do it with your friends!"

"Friends, huh." Jason exhaled for the first time in a long time. "Do you have friends?"

Grace nodded quickly. "My best friend is Jamie and she likes to sing! And my friend Terona came to say 'hi' yesterday, and Daniel, and Nikolai! We like to play together at school."

* * *

Billy cocked the toy gun and pulled the trigger. A dart flew out of the barrel. It worked, he had fixed it. The gun was a little weak though. If only it had a bigger air pump it could shoot a dart with even more force...

That gave him an idea.

The broken parts of his lance hit his workshop table in the ship. Billy had always hated the fact that his weapon might explode whenever he flipped the switch. That was just bad engineering. Now that he had a working knowledge of the ship's systems, he could do it right. The concept would be the same, a double-ended staff that could separate into two.

Billy wanted his Mark 2 Power Lance to be able to hit something with a bolt of lightning from a medium range. A thermal lance couldn't do that either, but that wasn't the point. To be able to do that, it would need a way to strip electrons off of whatever he wanted to hit, that would induce the electric field. With the ship's technology it was possible. The device that could do it would take his target's electrons out of reality for a moment, then bring them back in the head of his weapon an instant later, or maybe even sooner than that.

The battery needed a higher output than the previous version, by a lot. His design called for an entire nuclear power plant. Fortunately, Billy had access to an unlimited power source. Jason's sword and Zack's axe had localized power sources, but energy from the morphing grid was technically infinite.

There was a device that could do that, but it had a draw-back. Since the head of the weapon would be enveloped in grid-energy, hitting anything that was also connected to the morphing grid could cause a feedback loop. It was the same concept Tommy had exploited to take their armor away. It would be fine as long as he didn't hit one of his teammates with it.

The ship's technology was based on an amorphous substance Billy still didn't fully understand. He could build a device from scratch, and it could be integrated with any other tech from the ship at will. It had all the benefits of modular design without sacrificing customization. Once set, the substance was much stronger than steel.

Billy designed the weapon in the ship's computer and sent the part information to the replicators. The replicators initiated the process and soon he had his new lance.

Next project. Once Billy had Kim's arrows scanned, he could insert a small explosive that would be equivalent to a stick of dynamite.

The project got him thinking about how else Kim could use her bow. Thermite? Setting trip-wires? Shootable nets? What about like an arrow that teleports whatever it hits back to the ship? No, that last one was crazy, but he had a lot of ideas.

Billy wondered what he could do with Trini's sais. She said she always knew where her stuff was, but he remembered seeing them on opposite sides of the pit, or at least what was left of them. One of the shafts was bent at a 37.3 degree angle, the other had broken off completely. Trini needed something stronger and heavier so she could multiply the force she could exert.

Back at the computer, Billy began a new design. He shortened the shaft and brought the tines closer together. The ideal distance was calculated at 32.43 centimeters. Trini stabbed and slashed with them a lot, but the factory-made shaft was blunt and rounded. He made it into a blade and made the whole thing much heavier. Finally, the same power source as Jason's sword would give the weapon an extra punch.

Billy colored the guard and pommel yellow, the same as her armor. He hoped Trini would like it and replicated two.

The door opened to the wail of heavy metal music.

Trini's room was messy. For a girl who said she didn't care about how she looked, she sure had a lot of clothes All over the place. There was also a stack of books in one of the corners, mostly math and science, none were fiction. The closet practically vomited its contents onto the floor. And since when did Trini have three different backpacks?

"Zack?" Trini turned the music volume down on the stereo on the dresser. "Oh, hey, Billy."

Billy still hadn't grown to like metal, despite Trini's insistence that he would. "Hey Trini." He wanted to go in so he could talk to her, but he couldn't. He might step on the wrong thing. And then she would be mad.

She got up and pulled him in to the room. The door closed behind him. Apparently, all of it was okay to step on.

"I made you new sais." He presented them to her.

"What?" She picked them out of his hand and started inspecting them. "They're heavy."

"Twenty kilograms. They're made of the ship's material, so they won't bend or break or anything. And, I uh... changed the design. You can still punch though. And they're powered. I know you hate that. I'm sorry, I could redesign them-"

"No!" She twirled one on her finger and let it slide into her palm. "No, they're perfect." She looked up at him and gave him a strange smile. "You're really good at this. Thanks."

"Y- Yeah."

She spun the sai in her left hand, then caught it and gripped it tight. "Can I ask you something?"

* * *

Kim didn't know where to go or what to do. She didn't want to run away, but she couldn't go home. She didn't want anything. The trails had too many memories, but the ship always made her feel better.

She jumped off the standard way and tucked herself into one of the hidden places, a door no one ever used. She hung there trying to be quiet.

Billy ran back and forth through the atrium, probably needing tools or tiny adjustments to whatever he was doing.

Jason came through. Kim's heart skipped a beat when she saw his red armor. He stopped at the center of the ship, looking toward Zordon's control center. But he didn't enter it. He only paced back and forth, unsure of something.

Trini, without any armor came through the door to the lower levels. She stopped when she saw Jason. They looked at each other, but didn't do anything.

"Kim?" Trini called, making Kim's heart stop again. She looked around the atrium. "Kim? I'm... sorry."

Kim dropped out of her hiding place. "Trini-"

"Kim! I'm so sorry!" Trini sobbed. "I shouldn't have abandoned you! I wanted to be-"

Kim hugged back with everything she had. "No, Trini. You were right. I'm a bad leader. I should have listened."

"It was stupid! It was a stupid risk. I got lucky." Trini squeezed tighter. "You wanted to play it safe, and I was reckless."

"I want to do better." Kim cried into Trini's shoulder.

* * *

Zordon called them into the command center. When they came in, he looked at each of them.

"The threat you face is nearly infinite. In order to beat it, you will need to come together and fight as one again."

"No. I don't think that's going to work." Jason stood on his platform, in front of Zordon. He had regained his confident smirk. "We're different people. We think, and fight, and do things our own way. And sometimes, that means we're going to argue." He looked back at Zordon.

Zordon frowned, he didn't agree, but he didn't have to.

"But that doesn't make us weak." Jason looked back at the rest of the team with a grin. "None of us could keep up with Kim, or throw a punch like Trini. Or hold us together like Billy. Or..." Jason laughed and shook his head. "Do whatever Zack does."

Kim shook her head, laughing with him. He was right. "Together, we are all strong, stronger than Zedd."

"We can beat him," Billy said.

"Yeah we can," Trini added.

Kim smiled, and Jason couldn't help but smile back.

"Next time, we beat him together, no matter what he throws at us."

"Until then, can we watch a movie?" Trini asked, looking to Billy.

"Yeah," Kim said. "That could be fun."

They all gathered in Trini's room and watched a bad spy movie on her laptop. Billy and Trini sat closest to the screen. Jason pulled Kim away for snacks.

"Let's go on a date," Jason said. "Dancing in San Francisco."

Kim read his face for a moment. "By the time we get there, it'll be tomorrow morning."

"We'll teleport." He did that confident leader look that always got her going.

She cocked her head to the side. "That's against the rules."

"How many times have we saved the world?" Once at least, maybe more. "We deserve a night of fun."

"You're serious. Mr. Perfect wants to break the rules?"

"You've got me all wrong. I'm a bad boy," he teased. "Stole a cow once."

Kim laughed. She felt like she hadn't done that in ages. It felt strange in the best way. She couldn't stop the giggle.

Jason closed the distance and slid his arm around her waist. She did not stop him, she only put her arms around his shoulders. They swayed back and forth a little, their hips moving to music that existed only in their heads. Jason kept his eyes on her.

"If I'm going dancing, I need to change." Her eyes charged in excitement. "And so do you."

"I'll meet you back here in an hour."

"Yes, you will." Kim walked back over to Trini and Billy. "Hey guys, we're going to-"

"Have a good time," Trini said before she could finish.

"Thanks, we will." She returned home to retrieve clothes and products, then came back to the ship to get ready. Jason probably expected her to wear a pink dress. No, that was not happening. A night like this called for black. She already had the perfect one and shoes to match. Her hair was already done, it just needed a few touches.

An hour and a half later she was ready and came down a set of stairs to meet him. "Jason, you look great." She said making an entrance. She touched his tie. "Red is a good color on you."

"Kim..." Jason tried. He let out that breath he was holding, failing to play it cool. Stunned into silence was what she had been going for. "You look amazing."

The moment was perfect. "Thank you." She kissed his cheek.

They didn't have fake IDs. But once they had teleported into their respective restrooms of the club, no one would card them. They weren't there to drink anyway.

Kim met Jason on the dance floor. She laughed when she saw the flailing that he called dancing, but joined him anyway.

They didn't talk. They danced for hours.

The clubs closed at 2 am, so they went back to the ship. It had rooms for each of them. Kim's feet were killing her from dancing in heels. Jason carried her through the threshold of the door with the red stripe.

He gently laid her on the bed. She sat up immediately, invigorated by the night. She tackled him, pinning his arms down and kissing him.

Kim wanted to feel all of him, and she savored every moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "I'm looking for Grace" might have been a little on the nose. But, Grace Sterling is an actual character from the comics. She was the red ranger before Jason in the Boom! Studios comic series. The friends she mentions in the chapter are references to the other rangers on her team.


	18. Silver Meaning | Pink Showdown

**Chapter 17**

**Silver Meaning**

**10,000 years ago**

Had it been a moment, a day, an eternity? It was impossible to know. Time had become inconsequential. There was no counting, numbers merely were. They existed as abstractions, meaningless without application.

Karone was gone, and all meaning went with her.

Meaning was fragile, it could be changed, broken, or even forgotten. It needed protection. The machines existed as those meaningless numbers. Gears and switches had brought them into physical existence.

Past, present, and future held no meaning in the grid. The vast distances between islands in space were no more than an instant away. Life crawled out of the warm wet places, striving for equilibrium, fumbling for purpose. And before they could find it, they were consumed.

Karone was gone, and strength, and pain, and warmth had gone with her.

The machines swept over the entire universe, sucking the fire out of every star. They converted all matter into more of themselves, swallowing countless galaxies. They did this for trillions of years.

And when they had finally stolen the last mote of dust and burned the last of the universe's energy, they stopped. There was nothing else to do because there was nothing else. Their program ran into a terminus. They waited trillions of years for new instructions. None came before the universe tore itself apart, a meaningless end.

Karone was gone and the man named Zhane had gone with her.

Zordon had lead every ranger in the universe in a time immemorial, but that was not his original name. He had shed his old identity to become someone new, an apotheosis. He became the ideal to every ranger that came after him.

Now it was his time, and he had his purpose. An end, he was the premature end of the Machine Empire's program. The Zedd. That's who he would be. He was Zedd.

Zedd would become a personal mentor for every worthy power ranger. He would embody the ideals that had been hammered into him, independence, strength, individuality.

Meaning required physical form and Zedd returned to the body he had long abandoned. The silver spears holding the body in place shattered inside him. They were nothing to him as he had become. He stood, remembering every tiny gesture and great exertion. The Morphing Grid was fully open to him, access to infinite power.

It did not matter how long it had been or even where Zedd was. The only thing that mattered was his purpose. It would not change or break. He would not forget it.

Zedd's spear formed in his hand. On one end, the tip that would pierce into the heart of the Machine Empire. On the other, Zedd formed the universal symbol of the Power Rangers, a jagged bolt of lightning. They would know who would bring their end.

He held the entire power of the Grid in his hand. With it, he would construct a zord. Metal and carbon pushed through the planet. The matter rearranged itself to serve its own need. A cosmic, all-consuming dragon to hunt them down. Serpenterra.

* * *

**Pink Showdown**

Kim and her friends sang along to the music that blared through her car. "Weeeeee are the champions, my friends." She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so light.

"And we'll keep on fighting, to the end." Kim swayed while driving down the freeway. Jason spread his arms. "We are the champions." In the rear view mirror, Trini had her lighter out. A flame danced on the end of it. "We are the champions." Even Billy was smiling, singing his heart out. "No time-"

Kim's blood ran cold. Everyone stopped singing all at once. Billy's smile dropped, becoming confusion. Jason looked at Kim. Trini squinted through the sunroof. The song kept playing. "for losers. 'Cuz we are the champions..."

"Do you guys feel th-"

Something landed on the hood of Kim's car. Time slowed. The back flipped over the front. Jason was already activating his armor. Kim brought hers out too.

The instant before the car hit the ground, Kim kicked the door off and jumped out. She stepped onto the ground as gracefully as if she was getting off an escalator.

Zedd stood there, his foot resting on the ripped-off front end of Kim's car. Several other cars screeched to a stop in the middle of the freeway to avoid them.

Billy, Trini, and Jason stood next to Kim. Together, they took a breath and marched toward Zedd. They were going to end it this time.

"The machines passed through the Sirius System two hours ago. They have tracked Earth's transmissions and are on their way here. You cannot stop them as you are."

"Yes, we can." Jason's strength radiated through Kim. The others felt it too.

Zedd's shoulders dropped in regret. "I once thought I could. At the end of that life, I was powerless before them." He looked back up, at them through his visor. "Just as you are before me."

"We are not powerless," Jason said. Kim's armor strengthened somehow, she could feel light gleaming through her.

"Let's kick this guy's ass," Trini said.

Zedd shook his head. "They took the one I loved. And once the stone holding you down is shattered, only then you will know true power."

Jason growled, igniting his sword.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Kim asked.

An energy blast hit Kim in the chest. Her vision went white and she hit something hard. The something crumbled around her.

Kim sucked air into her collapsed lungs, her vision blurred. Something bright was in front of her. Her eyes squeezed shut and the light filled her vision with the red. She couldn't look away from it. People were yelling.

She shook off the dizziness in her head three times. She was still alive, and her team needed her.

They were fighting. Zedd jumped from rooftop to rooftop, baiting them. Jason, Trini, and Billy took turns taking the bait. They slashed at him for only a moment before switching off. They thought they were tiring him out, but they were actually were giving him exactly what he wanted.

Kim pried the metal and plastic off of her. She got to her feet and instinctively summoned her bow.

A lump built in her throat just looking at it. She had failed before because of it, she couldn't lead from behind.

Her mind went to their first encounter with Zedd. Jason needed her to keep Zack and Trini from escalating the battle, Rule 2. She remembered she had slung her bow and wanted to punch him as hard as she could.

And that's what she would do, the thing no one else could, fight synchronized with Trini, Keep Zedd away from Billy, lead alongside Jason. She felt the breeze swirl through her body.

Yes, she would give them whatever they needed. Jason and Trini were taking turns attacking, she would back them.

Kim launched herself back into town, landing next to Billy. "He's destroying the buildings. Billy, get everyone to safety."

"I can do that," he said. He jumped down to the street, helping the civilians below.

Kim closed the distance between herself and the fight, but something made her stop. Jason and Trini didn't need her up close just then, they needed a distraction.

Kim nocked an arrow onto her bowstring and exhaled. She held it on Zedd and waited for her moment to strike.

Jason slashed against his spear. Zedd countered with unimaginable strength, bellowing some taunt about how he was weak. Kim hadn't known the pressure he was under, it made her blood boil, but she kept her shot in place.

Trini came from the side and smashed Zedd into the roof of the building. She slammed her fist into him again and jumped away.

Zedd rose from his position for the respite, and Kim launched her arrow. He swiped it with his spear before it could touch him, and it exploded in his face. Kim didn't know what he packed them with, but Billy's ideas could not be denied. The chaos gave Jason and Trini a chance to recover and Kim a chance to close in.

Kim took a breath and landed on the roof.

Jason clashed with Zedd again. He kicked Jason in the chest and off the roof.

Kim charged right at him, her arm cocked back to hit him as hard as she could.

Zedd shifted his position to counter once she got in close.

At the last moment Kim flipped into the air spinning upside down and twisting to avoid his attack. He swiped, not making contact. She landed behind him giving Trini the perfect opportunity.

Trini stabbed her sais between the gaps in his armor. Zedd stumbled and Kim kicked him in the head. He stumbled the other direction.

Jason had jumped back onto the roof and moved so the three of them had Zedd surrounded.

Kim saw the next attack coming. A bright white ball in Zedd's hand, the same attack Tommy had used to take their armor away. He slammed it into the floor. A shockwave rocked the building.

Kim flipped out of the way, but it hit Trini and Jason. Trini was thrown back by the force of the explosion. Jason's armor phased in and out over his body. He grunted with his fists clenched, keeping his armor from overloading.

"Billy, we need you back here," Kim said. "Switch out with Trini." She knew she would have to hold him by herself for at least a few seconds so Billy could reach them and Jason could stabilize his armor.

Kim understood her role on the team. Everyone needed something, and Kim had to know what it was and how to give it to them.

Kim nocked an arrow on her bow and aimed it at Zedd. "Did you call me a rock?"

Zedd regarded her. "The stone holding Jason down." He turned toward Jason, still struggling against the effects of Zedd's shockwave. "You are the person stopping him from realizing his true potential."

Jason reignited his sword, his hand shook, whether from anger or the lingering effects of Zedd's attack, Kim didn't know.

"And yet, you are the reason he fights with the ferocity he does. This is weakness."

Billy jumped onto the roof and activated his Power Lance. It sparked with lightning and he held it at Zedd.

Zedd hit Billy with some kind of beam, knocking him back.

Kim loosed her arrow. The blast gave Jason a chance to attack. Kim followed. She was going to punch that stupid visor until it dented.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this has taken me a long time to update. There are three chapters remaining, look for Chapter 18 next month. Many of you are not going to like me, but I promise it will all make sense when I'm done.


End file.
